View source for 2025-02-01: Live from Macross City: Phantom Pain!

*'''Log: 2025-02-01''': Live from Macross City: Phantom Pain!
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Neo Roanoke]], [[Character :: Myrmidon Team]], [[Character :: Daba Myroad]], [[Character :: Priscilla]], [[Character :: Leon Sakaki]], [[Character :: Aurora Dusk]], [[Character :: Gauma]]
*'''Where:''' Macross City, South Ataria Island
*'''OOC - IC Date:''' February 1st, UC 0100
*'''Summary''': ''In advance of the planned Lilium Valerie Angel of Peace Debut Charity Concert for Macross City, Macross City needs to be made to actually NEED charity. Phantom Pain's commander, the Myrmidon Team, and one of the intelligence services' hounds are on the case - opposed by the heroes wielding Dynazenon, the Yaman Rebellion and a young pilot from the SMS.''

----
 
 <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
<poem>
         It's a beautiful night in Macross City, South Ataria Island. In the days of the Federation, it was an independent city, not belonging to any bloc. In NUNE's twilight era, its status is ambiguous, but NUNE /does/ claim it. For the city itself, nothing has really changed either way politically.

         The most exciting thing the city has coming up is a charity concert, actually. It hasn't been announced - or officially planned with any of the city's officials - but Lilium Valerie, the Angel of Peace, is actually supposed to debut here! She'll be singing a charity concert to help rebuild after the city is damaged by a terrorist attack. No, not /was/ damaged. After the city /will be/ damaged. Enter Phantom Pain.

         An unnamed submarine, not officially claimed by any nation, makes its way off the coast of the island. Within its belly, the soldiers of Phantom Pain. Within their ranks, a Slaughter Dagger equipped with a gunbarrel striker. And within that suit-

         Aurora Dusk stretches her arms out, gripping the control sticks, fingers dancing across the keys as she deploys as part of a loose formation. The submarine returns to the depths after disgorging its hold, leaving the assortment of mobile weapons to make their way to the lights of the city.

         Glittering lights. Looks like it's going to be a long night... Looks like it's going to be a warm night, too. Aurora activates her own thrusters, falling in line with Neo. Slaughter Daggers are not Newtype-use suits, and Gunbarrels do not require psycommu, strictly speaking. But remote weapons in general are the weapons of Newtypes, and even if she can't feel the steady pulse of pyschoframe, or the cold grip of a Titans-spec psycommu, the gunbarrels feel like a part of her, just like the suit is... or maybe she's the one that feels like a part of the suit.

         As her sleek black machine burns its thrusters and follows her fellow Phantom Pain members over the water and to the gleaming city in the distance, something small and slight in her gut twitches. Remember, she tells herself: priority is property damage. You're here to rack up gilla in damage, not a body count. That makes it easier.

         One moment, relative calm, and the glow of a city at night. The next, chaos, and the glow of a city partially on fire at night.

        The sirens are already ringing when the black Slaughter Dagger appears. The people fleeing out of the various buildings - homes, businesses, things of that nature - seem so small from within the cockpit. Aurora lands on the ground forcefully, cracking the road beneath her, MS standing upright... then raises her beam rifle. She waits for a suitably dramatic pause... just enough for people to realise what's happening and run, and then she sights what looks like a spa and pulls the trigger. It goes up in the green shine of her beam rifle fire. Looking around her, she spots several more businesses - a restaurant, a cafe and some kind of grocery store, she dimly notes. The store was seeing a lot of business when she arrived - there are trails of dropped items from people fleeing the disruption of their daily lives, and the places of their livelihoods. The gunbarrels fly out, and those livelihoods are no more.

        Amidst the destruction, backlit by flames, the Slaughter Dagger stands as a faceless destroyer, saying nothing.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Neo Roanoke has posed.
<poem>
        Standing in the hangar of the Phantom Pain submarine, beside the gunbarrel striker equipped Slaughter Dagger, is another Slaughter Dagger. This Slaughter Dagger is not the typical black though, it's been given a custom paint job that is primarily a dark purple. But, it is also equipped with a gunbarrel striker. Must be a popular striker pack! Though probably not in reality as not many can make full use of its features.

        Yet to Neo Roanoke inside the cockpit of the second Slaughter Dagger, the pack seems oddly familiar. He doesn't recall using one in the past. It's likely something he'd remember. Still, he's fairly certain he's sortied with something like it before. It's probably just a trick of the mind.

        As the submarine surfaces, the top hatches open and a launch elevator begins to carry Neo up into the dark of the night. The glittering lights of Macross City's numerous buildings stretch out in front of him on the coast just a short distance away. Eyeing them, the Phantom Pain commander says, &lt;"Remember. Property destruction is the key focus here. There's no point in generating charity for a destroyed home if the people who were living in it are dead."&gt;

        A very uplifting and enthusiastic pre-mission speech. Just like Phantom Pain.

        The purple Slaughter Dagger ignites its thrusters, which quickly propel it into the air in a long arc to land on the coast. It lands down on the beach, just short of a sea-side restaurant. It quickly draws the attention of the restaurant's patrons, who panic at the sight of the heavily armed Mobile Suit. It can't be a good sign! The patrons quickly begin to run, filtering out of the building. They only have seconds though as the Slaughter Dagger raises the beam rifle in its hand and fires. The beam lances into the restaurant, carving through it with ease with intense heat and light.

        Neo barely registers the destruction of the business before he starts his machine moving forward, taking steps onto the main coastal road and causing several cars to screech to a halt at the sight of the large robot walking deeper into the city.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Myrmidon Team has posed.
<poem>

        There's a ghost on board the ship. He wears a long, buttoned-down black coat, a wide-brimmed hat, leather gloves and expensive shoes. With his head tilted down, his crewmates can only catch glimpses of his face. Horrendously scorched and scarred flesh. Teeth visible through a patch of missing skin to the side of his mouth. His poise is impeccable.

        The ghost climbs aboard his unit from a boarding scaffold. Mirror-clean, sleek and freshly produced. The new model picked up from some company. Within the cockpit, he lifts his hat to place the control band over the crown of his head, and then puts the hat back on top. Humming an old song to himself, he fires up the unit, and the body of MFW-2 Solenopsis hunches down into the natural posture of a standing human, wanzer-scale beam rifle carried at the ready.

        It kicks off the submarine hold, and a jet engine fires from its back, propelling it skimming low over the surface of the water at high speeds for the shores of Macross City. It comes in trailing behind the purple Slaughter Dagger, at first seeming to simply be a massive wave from the sea, before it opens a spray of beam rifle fire intended to shear through the walls and ceilings of low businesses - coffee shops, travel agencies and villas. Solenopsis stows its rifle, crouches lower to the ground and places a palm to the beach sands, feeling for the layout underground.

        Then, the gas mains begin to burst, starting from those nearest the shore, and spreading further into the city.

</poem>
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has deployed as a Boss for 2 opponents.

 <Pose Tracker> Daba Myroad has posed.
<poem>
Part of the ''Turner'' crew's remit for being adrift in an unfamiliar region of space is they ''need'' to gather intelligence about this planet and its regions - so at Fanneria Amm's behest, 'road trip' to Frontier City it is!

Daba Myroad is deeply regretting this decision right now.

The Spiral Flow flosser weaves through the night-time streets as fire and explosions rock the artificial island behind him, as he frantically taps the hoverbike's comms (inwardly cursing the peculiar particle conditions that disrupt communications.)

Fortunately, he's not the only one to have noticed the sudden outbreak of chaos, as a massive orange vehicle large enough to completely block the street looms ahead of him, an equally gigantic tarpaulin draped across a vaguely humanoid shape lying in repose atop it. Mirai Kyao leans out of the glassless window, waving. "Daba! We saw the fires, figured you'd need some help!"

"Perfect timing, Kyao! Where are Leccee and Amm?"

"Amm made it back, she's coordinating from the Turner, and Leccee's protecting the ship with her D.Sserd!"

"Alright, raise the launch gantry!" Daba kicks Spiral Flow's boosters into overdrive so that he can gain height, and thumbs the big triangular button on the hoverdrive's dashboard. "Docking Sensor!"

As the gantry on the back of the Works raises up, the tarpaulin cascades to the ground, revealing the glossy white-armoured Heavy Metal that came with the ''Turner'' on its impromptu inter-galactic jaunt. The hoverbike rises towards the machine's neck as a cavity opens up there, pivots horizontally, and slides backwards into the docking bay, whereupon the head of the machine closes up over Daba. His bike helmet's visor lights up as it connects to the Heavy Metal, integrating its vision with a heads-up display.

"Controls linked," Daba reports, reaching over to the weapons bay of the Works and retrieving his energy-diffusing shield, and grabbing the barrel of a power launcher, flipping it end-over-end to land in the forearm socket for the weapon and then linking auxiliary power cords to the Heavy Metal's abdominal reactor port. "L-Gaim, launching!"

He sprints back the way he came down the tarmac, HUD chirping as he sights for the aggressors of this senseless violence.

There. Caught in the glare of street lights: A purple mobile suit, beamfire raking the buildings as civilians scatter from it.

"It's too crowded, Daba!" Lilith Fwau cries out from his shoulder, the tiny fairy girl clinging tight to his tunic. "We can't fight down here!"

"Agreed," he mutters, and kicks levers near Spiral Flow's foot pedals. Flaps on L-Gaim's calves fly open, thrusters propelling the white Heavy Metal into the night sky. With no light booster installed today, he has limited air time... but he can make it count, as he points L-Gaim's right forearm towards the purple Slaughter Dagger, power launcher crackling with energy as it volleys electrical-white bolts towards the terror machine.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
<poem>
The world has undergone many changes over the span of a week, to the point that it's noticeable even to the outsiders from the Yaman Rebellion. For Van's group, however... it's almost business as usual. Their entire time on the Earth Sphere has revolved around tracking down leads on that ever-mysterious man with the Claw, and still, they continue their search, no matter how much the world has changed. Really, it's a good thing for them - they might actually find a clue for once buried underneath the shakeup.

All that is to say Priscilla is currently tagging along with the Turner crew in Macross City, because the Yaman Rebellion can never stay in one place for too long. Since it's unaffiliated, Macross City should have been one of the less likely places to catch on fire between all the chaos with NUNE. Should have! Things don't always go according to plan, do they? Priscilla has a keen sense for danger, but even she was caught off guard with the speed these mysterious attackers were able to initiate an attack...

"They're going for the buildings? This looks bad... I'm going out with Brownie!" Priscilla announces, already wearing her trace suit as she so often does as casual clothing. In fact, she'd already been tinkering with some of its equipment before the sudden attack. It may be night, but she's a restless spirit at heart, with plenty of energy to spare. She cracks her knuckles, and Brownie's movements match hers. With the battle armour bolted on, Brownie's movements in the city are more limited than they should be, but it maintains surprising agility anyways, as it skates over to meet the pair of Slaughter Daggers and the Solenopsis, following the docking L-Gaim's lead.

Rather than Priscilla opening up comms with these mysterious attackers, Brownie speaks with her body language, aggressively pointing a finger towards the Slaughter Dagger, as if she's a magical girl who finally caught onto the villain's scheme. Inside the cockpit, Priscilla physically looks around to make sure the nearby civilians are evacuating, before firing off a burst of rapid machinegun fire to break off the falling debris of a building into smaller, less damaging chunks. If any of those shots hit the Slaughter Dagger, that's incidental at this stage.
</poem>

 KTS: Daba Myroad targets Neo Roanoke with Power Launcher Aimed Shot!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke engages evade against Daba Myroad's Power Launcher Aimed Shot!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Daba Myroad's Power Launcher Aimed Shot, taking 4410 damage!
 KTS: Priscilla targets Neo Roanoke with Pass!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke accepts Priscilla's Pass!
 KTS: Best Defense! Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Priscilla's Pass, taking 0 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
<poem>
At the rear end of Macross City, the Strategic Military Services Northampton class frigate Gefion sits docked. Inside, Leon Sakaki stands engaged in a heated argument with a young Meltlandi with shocking pink hair and covered in motor oil.

"Leon, I swear, do you understand how much this thing costs?" Aisha Blanchett motions with her wrench to the chestnut-haired pilot standing across from her.

"More than I can afford, I know," I know Leon mutters sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and sighing.

"You're damn right! Which is why you seriously need to take better care of your fighter, Leon. You have no idea how much Vajra goo Ive had to scrape out of the turbines." Leon looks down at his feet.

"Let's just all consider ourselves lucky that Brunnhilde is completely undamaged, and I managed to make a full copy of her data without issue," Aisha says, turning to her computer screens. "I might have something interesting to show you soon."

"Yeah, whatever Can I get my paycheck for the delivery job, please?" Leon opens his hand with an expectant motion.

"Leon Sakaki, you are the salt of the earth," Aisha says with a cross look.

"Oh, thanks."

"I meant scum."

"Yeah, yeah"

The double comedy act is interrupted by the sounds of explosions and screaming shaking the city. Even on the ship, the two feel the wave.

"What the hell?" Leon whips around, knocked off balance as alarms on the ship blare. Aisha scrambles for her console.

"The citys under attack! Leon, sortie! Protect the Gefion!"

"Uh, crap, right!" Leon makes a hasty salute and runs for his fighter. As the teal-green YF-25 roars to life, Aisha sits down at the bridge and puts a control headset on, examining the scene.

"Multiple unknown enemy contacts. Unregistered IFFs. Wanzers, MSes, maybe more."

"Roger. Siegfried-1, launching." The Prophecys rear thrusters swivel up and down as it moves out onto the hangar. Holographic guidance lights up, and with a burst of thermonuclear fire, the Prophecy is in the air.

"I dont know whats going on here, but this cant be allowed to continue!"
</poem>
 KTS: Myrmidon Team's The Will to Power activates!
 KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Myrmidon Team with Gatling Shot!

 <Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
<poem>
"Tally on bandit. One modified Wanzer. Engaging."

Gunshots rain down on the Solenopsis from above as Leon squeezes the trigger, the YF-25's underslung Gunpod firing away as Leon fights to keep the ground target in his crosshairs."
</poem>

 KTS: Myrmidon Team engages guard against Leon Sakaki's Gatling Shot!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team successfully guards Leon Sakaki's Gatling Shot, taking 3120 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Neo Roanoke has posed.
<poem>
        The purple Slaughter Dagger continues to stop down a main street, its footsteps shaking abandoned cars and crushing guard rails beneath its giant feet. The buildings around it are getting taller as it heads into the denser parts of the city. Its beam rifle is still casually turning left and right, carving holes into office buildings as it goes.

        That is until a bolt of energy charges into his its shoulder, electricity crackling over the impact point as armor plating is scorched. The follow up bolts don't manage to hit their mark though as the Slaughter Dagger jumps backwards, clipping the corner of a building on the way past. The Slaughter Dagger then turns as it finds another machine face off against it, shredding the debris from the building it had just clipped.

        It was expected that defenders would show up. Though Neo was expecting something launched from the city's giant defender at its center. These units are not quite what he was expecting. Still, Neo isn't all that concerned about facing off against both machines. He does decide to play it smart though, thrusters firing to quickly push his machine down the street and around a corner, quickly disappearing out of view behind a building.

        A few seconds pass, before a pair of large canisters bounce out from the direction that Neo's machine had just vanished. Large amount of glittering smoke begin to pour out, rapidly filling the streets and spaces between the buildings to reduce visibility for both the eye and sensors as the covert ops unit acts underhandedly.

</poem>
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Daba Myroad and Priscilla with Jam L1!
 KTS: Priscilla accepts Neo Roanoke's Jam L1!
 KTS: Best Defense! Priscilla successfully reacts to Neo Roanoke's Jam L1, taking 0 damage!
 KTS: Daba Myroad accepts Neo Roanoke's Jam L1!
 KTS: Best Defense! Daba Myroad successfully reacts to Neo Roanoke's Jam L1, taking 0 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
<poem>
As spotlights dance across the crashed husk of the first Macross, a man from another age sits back on a bench, craning his back to peer at the ceiling. "Big," Gauma says, for the sixth time that day.

"Yeah," says the man next to him, Koyomi Yamanaka instead staring at the sky overhead, the stars outshone by the lights around them. "This thing...some folks say it started it all," he says.

"&#42;That's&#42; you being on suspicious websites again," Chise Asukagawa says from behind them, sitting on a hilled green and gnawing on a lollipop. Koyomi grimaces. "Right, yeah, but...like, things got &#42;really&#42; crazy after the Macross, right?"

The duo's bickering fades into the background as Gauma stares at the titan. "Nah," he says, more to the universe than them. "Things have been crazy for a long, long time."

Then the night is scorched by fire. "Whoa!? Huh!?" Chise gawps, but Gauma stands up. "Is it them!?" Chise yelps.

"Dunno," Gauma says. "But we're going. Chise, call Yomogi and Yume, tell 'em whatever their doing has to wait! We need Dynazenon!" He glances to Koyomi, eyes invisible behind the fringe of his bangs. But finally the Entire Adult Male of Koyomi Yamanaka grunts and stands, digging in his pockets for Dynastriker. "Guess if we're here we might as well, huh?" he says, and thrusts a model car into the sky. Gauma's lips split in an eager grin.

"Access Mode:"
        "Dynastriker!" "Dynadiver!"

Soon, the attackers find a race car the size of several stacked-together semi trucks barreling down the main road. When it might hit traffic, it smoothly transitions to skidding along ''the buildings'', and then jumps &#42;again&#42; to tumble end over end before somehow doing something that passes for righting itself, blue-white tracks appearing under its tires just in time for it to point its bumper at Aurora's Slaughter Dagger again.

Actually, does that bumper look more like gun barrels? Yes! Photon bullets rain down!!

Meanwhile, in the water, Dynadiver splashes down and Gauma jerks the controller left and right, squinting at the screen and the scan data revealed in it. "Are they just shooting whatever?" he mutters.

Then he slows and a darkness enters his gaze. "...more like a kaiju than a person," he mutters.
</poem>

 KTS: Gauma's Promises! And Love! And...!! activates!
 KTS: Gauma targets Aurora Dusk with Dynastriker Photon Bullets!
 KTS: Gauma's Four Hearts In One Giant activates Wall!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk engages block against Gauma's Dynastriker Photon Bullets!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage.
 KTS: Aurora Dusk poorly blocks Gauma's Dynastriker Photon Bullets, taking 1440 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Myrmidon Team has posed.
<poem>

        Leon's ground target can be traced back to the origin of the utility line explosions, though it's a smaller target than the Slaughter Daggers. The gatling fire loses momentum when it approaches the wanzer, some shots turning astray. Others shear some of the unit's armor scales. It breaks into evasive maneuvers, weaving deeper into the city.

        &lt;"This is Reinhert,"&gt; the ghost reports in on Phantom Pain's encrypted band. &lt;"I've got a fly bugging me. Swatting."&gt; Solenopsis cranes its neck, swivelling the internal camera view. "Variable fighters every time," he murmurs to himself. He leads Leon into a fire chase for a time, swerving sharp turns across the low buildings of the coastside area. As he begins to come across cars, whether parked or freshly abandoned in the evacuation, the Solenopsis picks them up in one hand in passing and chucks them at furious speeds into the air at the Prophecy. He doesn't expect them to hit, but the more the Prophecy has to maneuver, the less it can fire leisurely down at him.

        He finds what he is looking for when he passes away from the residential area to reach a water treatment plant. The storage tanks here are larger than the houses he's been swerving around across the coastal area. Perhaps Solenopsis appears to be taking cover behind one of them.

        One hand grips the side of the storage tank. It easily rips the tank from its foundation in one piece, lifting the entire tank over the Solenopsis's neckless head. "Fortunately, there's more than one way to cause property damage," Reinhert Zabek muses to himself. He chucks the tank through the air in the same motion as chucking the cars. Another tank soon follows.

</poem>
 KTS: Myrmidon Team targets Leon Sakaki with Massive Projectile!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team's Combat High activates Alert and Wall!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 
 <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
<poem>
         The inside of Aurora's helmet is silent, save for the sound of her steady breathing as her eyes reflect the flames filling her monitor. Gunbarrel fire rains down on the surroundings, destruction spreading out as she systematically demolishes buildings. She's tracking her fire across buildings in simple paths; it's a happy accident that this means less actual casualties.

        Her passionless rampage is interrupted by... a maniac in a racecar. One moment they're speeding towards her; the next, they're... driving across the sides of the buildings? While Aurora ponders that, the car leaps into the sky and makes its own tracks. She barely has time to register the warning ring in her head before raising her shield to block. The Dynastriker is too quick, however, and most of the shots get past her shield. Fortunately for Aurora, her machine's laminate armour does well against beam weaponry of all kinds, and the shots mostly bounce off.

        &lt;"This is Ghost-4. Unknown contact, appears to be flying racecar."&gt; She calls it in on Phantom Pain's comms. Weird, but there are a lot of werid things going around these days anyway. The unknown contact gets her attention, and the Gunbarrels break off from destroying the city to refocus on her new enemy, swarming around it like a pack of hungry wolves, each trying to harry it into the attacks of its fellows.

        And now, the city's defenders. The garrison is slow to react. They've likely not seen much combat in a long time, and their machines are outdated Variable Fighters and surplus wanzers. But they ''are'' here, ready to fight. They pour their own fire on the offending units, ineffectual as it is. Aurora blocks the shots aimed at her with her shield, then drags her beam rifle across the gathered fighters, casually sending them into disarray.

        
</poem>
 KTS: Leon Sakaki engages intercept against Myrmidon Team's Massive Projectile!
 KTS: Leon Sakaki's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Critical Hit! Leon Sakaki poorly reacts to Myrmidon Team's Massive Projectile, taking 5000 damage!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Gauma with Gunbarrel Striker Pincer Formation!

 <Pose Tracker> Daba Myroad has posed.
<poem>
The particle cloud clogs L-Gaim's sensors as the purple Slaughter Dagger darts out of visual contact, and Daba curses as his helmet visor fills with static. Gritting his teeth, he lunges L-Gaim through the particulate cloud, static dust clinging to the white armour like the world's largest glitter-bomb.

He thumps the side of his helmet until the static clears somewhat, looking around for his original target.

"Where did you go?" He mutters, before glimpsing the familiar pink silhouette of Brownie in the edge of his visor. "Priscilla, on me! He's still out there!"

L-Gaim raises its shield, head on a swivel, and backs up towards Brownie.
</poem>

 KTS: Daba Myroad targets Priscilla with Dream!
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Priscilla
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Priscilla
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma engages evade against Aurora Dusk's Gunbarrel Striker Pincer Formation!
 KTS: Best Defense! Gauma successfully reacts to Aurora Dusk's Gunbarrel Striker Pincer Formation, taking 0 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
<poem>
Priscilla is personally very glad she deployed, with how quick things turned to chaos. It isn't lost on her on how well-tailored their enemies' mobile weapons are to singularly causing city-wide chaos, between the gunbarrels' ability to attack autonomously, and the Solenopsis's ability to throw around way more weight than it should handle.

Brownie doesn't have sensors like a mobile suit would, per se. When it comes to her getting ahold of her surroundings, Priscilla relies on her own eyes first and foremost. But that doesn't make the jamming smoke any easier to deal with! "Haaah... that's pretty clever. Where'd they go?" Priscilla squints, trying to see through the fog of war. These guys just don't play fair at all, but if they're going to give her a challenge... "Daba! Stay as close as you can - I think I've got a plan!"

Priscilla cracks her whip, slamming it across the air. If this were just a normal whip, she wouldn't have any hope of landing a hit on Neo in these visibility conditions. But suddenly - the whip ''crackles'' with electricity, lighting the dark sky around it and dissipating the smoke where it swings. She uses it simultaneously as a weapon - and a beacon for herself and Daba. "Gotcha! Go, Spark Needles!!" Brownie lunges forward, and tries to ''drive'' that whip into the vague outline of the Slaughter Dagger, with enough voltage to bypass its laminated armour, but not enough to totally short out its systems...

Because at this moment, Priscilla turns on her own 'comms', which really amounts more to a simple loudspeaker installed on the Armour than a truly advanced suite of communications. "Who sent you? Was it a man with a claw for a hand?"
</poem>

 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Accel Spirit Command and and has gained Terrain bonus!
 KTS: Priscilla accepts Daba Myroad's Dream!
 KTS: Daba Myroad shares a dream with Priscilla, increasing her SP!
 KTS: Best Defense! Priscilla successfully reacts to Daba Myroad's Dream, taking 0 damage!
 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Priscilla targets Neo Roanoke with Spark Needle Whip!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke engages react against Priscilla's Spark Needle Whip!
 KTS: Best Defense! Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Priscilla's Spark Needle Whip, taking 0 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Neo Roanoke has posed.
<poem>
        The smoke hangs low amidst the buildings of Macross City. Combined with the sounds of the other battles and the fires raging from the damage inflicted so far, it makes picking up on the Slaughter Dagger's movements difficult. Priscilla tries to clear away some of the smoke with her whip, trying to find some sign of the Slaughter Dagger. She catches sight of silhouette in the smoke, charging at it! Her whip is pushed into the spot she had latched onto...

        And just passes through more smoke. Had it been a trick of the light? Was the Slaughter Dagger there, but managed to sneak away again? Just where is the elusive machine?

        On the next street over, Neo keeps his machine still and quiet pressed up against the large building between him and the two machines he's facing off against. His eyes are closed beneath his helmet as he waits patiently. Waiting for that feeling...

        The Slaughter Dagger raises the barrel of its beam rifle to the building, then pulls the trigger. The beam lances through the structure with ease, coming out the other side to leave a glowing hole through it before continuing on straight for Daba's L-Gaim.

        Before either of the two have much of a chance to react, a voice echoes through the smoke, &lt;"It doesn't matter who we are or who sent us. We're just shadows of the human desire for power and wealth."&gt;

        With the voice though, it becomes easier to track the Slaughter Dagger and sure enough, its form can be seen standing down the street from the two. A real silhouette this time. Though one that is distinctly less bulky than the two would remember? Indeed, its large backpack is missing. Did it jettison it?

        In a manner of speaking, yes.

        The purple coloured Gunbarrel Striker pack, transformed into its Mobile Armor form, comes flying down towards the two from above. The large gatling gun hanging beneath its frame spins up and starts raining bullets down on Priscilla's position.

</poem>
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Daba Myroad with MX703G Beam Rifle Trick Shot!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Priscilla with Gunbarrel Striker Blindside!
 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Daba Myroad engages block against Neo Roanoke's MX703G Beam Rifle Trick Shot!
 KTS: Daba Myroad successfully blocks Neo Roanoke's MX703G Beam Rifle Trick Shot, taking 2700 damage!
 KTS: Priscilla engages intercept against Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Striker Blindside!
 KTS: Critical Hit! Priscilla poorly reacts to Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Striker Blindside, taking 5800 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Neo Roanoke's Covert Operative activates, causing Jam L1!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Neo Roanoke's Ace Pilot activates, causing Control Bonus!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
<poem>
The Dynastriker is VERY quick. Despite its tremendous size, the car-shaped robot crashes to the ground on all four wheels and swiftly skates away down the street. Heavy wheels cheerfully handle any obstruction!

"Gauma! Hey! I could use a hand here!" Koyomi calls. "These things are really fast!!" Dynastriker swings a turn that oughta be fully impossible to turn sharply onto a new street, racing ahead of the Gunbarrels' blasting fangs. And just before it could hit...!

A light from the sky.

"Forgot-the-name beam!!" a girl calls within the Yaman channels, and a beam of light races downward, streaking through the Gunbarrels and scattering them.

"''Penetrator Guns''!" Gauma grunts. "Guess we're late," Yomogi Asanaka says, fully ignoring him. Another machine arrives, a humanoid robot but with a dragon's face and claws attached to a winged backpack. "What is up with these guys?"

"They just showed up and started shooting," Gauma supplies.

"Thought we left &#42;that&#42; behind back home," Yomogi sighs, and Dynasoldier disconnects from Dynawing, the bipedal machine dropping down straight in front of Aurora's Slaughter Dagger and squaring up for a fight! "Well...then I guess...!" he says, and rears back for a punch.

Then Gauma snarls and yells, "Nothing HUMAN a bout trashing peoples homes!!" in response to the chatter from the other end of the field, accompanied by a series of shots from  the top of the Dynadiver, arcing missiles straight at Aurora!

"oh i guess i won't yet then," Yomogi says, a little blindsided.
</poem>

 KTS: Gauma targets Aurora Dusk with Dynadiver Burst Missiles!
 KTS: Gauma's Four Hearts In One Giant activates Focus!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Daba Myroad has posed.
<poem>
The chaos of the battlefield almost seems to grow still, as L-Gaim scans the city block for signs of the attacker. Brownie's whip fails to find purchase on a target, and Daba grimaces.

His helmet chirps as the static fully clears, as it catches the heat build-up on the building opposite him.

Quick as a flash, he brings L-Gaim's shield up as the beam breaks through the rock, the Minovsky blast splashing against the gloss black panelling and sending L-Gaim a step backwards.

"The shadow of humanity's greed?" He repeats to Neo's ominous transmission. "Then let's drag you into the light! Priscilla, follow me!"

L-Gaim sprints towards the falling building and again its calf flaps billow open as the Heavy Metal leaps over it, in order to find the Slaughter Dagger rather than guess which way it ran.

Managing a controlled descent, Daba pulls a secondary trigger on the flosser's handlebars and a hatch in L-Gaim's forearm pops open, deploying what looks like a beam saber into the machine's waiting open hand. The bright yellow blade snaps into prominence as he drops, bringing the weapon down on the purple mobile suit!
</poem>

 KTS: Daba Myroad targets Neo Roanoke with Hand Launcher Saber Slash!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Assail Spirit Command and and can now apply defenses across ranges!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke fails to engage Block against Daba Myroad's Hand Launcher Saber Slash!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Daba Myroad's Hand Launcher Saber Slash, taking 4590 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
<poem>
Leon grimaces as the bullets bend away from the Wanzer. He really hates fighting humans. They really should have loaded missiles for this, but there was no time.

As Solenopsis flees, Leon gives chase, soaring above the buildings as he continues to squeeze off shots, a predator swooping down to strike at its prey. Then the cars start flying.

"Holy SHIT!" Leon swears, as he dodges one and then blasts another with his beam guns, the air filling with metal and smoke as Leon scrambles to intercept or evade the cars. It's filled with enough smoke, in fact, that Leon doesn't notice the two much &#42;larger&#42; projectiles headed his way.

The YF-25 bursts through the smoke, only for Leon's eyes to widen to the size of dinner plates as he sees two massive water tanks coming straight at him.

"Oh, son of a..."

Leon hits the first tank with some shots, causing it to leak just a bit before it and the second tank make impact with the Prophecy with horrific sounds. The Pinpoint Barrier falls in an instant, the Prophecy plummeting out of the sky as a &#42;wave of water&#42; submerges it.

"Mayday, mayday! I'm hit! Attempting mode change!" The Prophecy streaks downwards, legs just barely managing to kick out and provide just a bit of balance before the entire thing hits the ground with a horrifying screech.

The smoke clears, and the YF-25 crawls up in Gerwalk mode.

"Another happy landing..." The EX-Gear protected Leon from the worst of the crash, but that doesn't mean his head doesn't hurt like hell. Although, his pride might have gotten banged up even worse. Ignoring the ringing in his ears, Leon aligns his Gunpod at the Wanzer.

"I'm not done yet, you monster."
</poem>

 KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
 KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Myrmidon Team with Gatling Full-Auto!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Myrmidon Team: Will Barrier Activates.
 KTS: Myrmidon Team fails to engage block against Leon Sakaki's Gatling Full-Auto!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team's Will Barrier activates, negating 1500 base damage.
 KTS: Best Defense! Myrmidon Team successfully reacts to Leon Sakaki's Gatling Full-Auto, taking 3375 damage!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk engages evade against Gauma's Dynadiver Burst Missiles!
 KTS: Critical Hit! Aurora Dusk poorly reacts to Gauma's Dynadiver Burst Missiles, taking 5040 damage!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk's I've Accepted the Machine that I Am activates!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
 KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Gauma with Jam L1!

 <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
<poem>
         The Dynastriker may be quick, but Gunbarrels have a swiftness of their own. A flick of the fingers and the Gunbarrels race over the street, blasting holes into the road as Koyomi successfully evades. Each dodged shot just tears up the street more, and Aurora is half-surprised to see how well the racecar handles the terrain it's on. It turns ''hard'', and the Gunbarrels are almost left behind. Aurora blinks. At that speed, that turn was... No, it isn't impossible. Is the machine or its pilot just that good, or have they been... taken beyond human limits? She wonders aimlessly. Perhaps she's seeking that kind of connection instinctively. She gets on best with people ''like her'', after all.

        The chase ends abruptly. Aurora's gunbarrels scatter in the wind in the wake of a sudden attack from one of the other units. &lt;"Multiple contacts. It's a squadron of mismatched vehicles."&gt; The gunbarrels retract and take their places on Aurora's back, just in time for a more humanoid machine to drop in front of Aurora and wind up to hit her... and then ''not''. She turns her head just in time to see the missiles coming from the other machine. A feint? The pilot says something about nothing being ''human'' about what they do as he fires. Aurora's outbound comms remain silent. There's no need to confirm they aren't.

        The missiles slam into her, and neither the laminate armour nor her own dodging skills save her. She rattles back and forth in her cockpit. Off to the side, Neo is fighting like a true covert operative. Aurora is supposed to be one of those, too. There's nothing to be gained by acting in the open, so contrary to Daba's desire to drag them into the light, the shadows will be returning to the darkness. The street bursts into smoke in two places - a column rises on Aurora's position, swallowing her machine, and a cloud of smoke bursts into being inbetween there and Dynadiver as she makes her getaway. The Slaughter Dagger has advanced detection equipment worthy of special forces - let's see if the enemy can match up to it.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
<poem>
In the ring, Priscilla has always been used to winning her matches with a single blow. Feeling confident in her aim, Priscilla smiles with triumph, but in a ''real'' battle, you should always expect the unexpected. And that sweet victory slips away just as quickly as the Slaughter Dagger does from her attack. "This one's good! I thought I had 'em!" Priscilla puffs, but at least her attack managed to get rid of some of the smoke.

Priscilla finds her breathing get heavier, the adrenaline of the fight really starting to kick in. It's not the kind of exhilarating feeling she's used to - it's the knowledge that this really is life or death. That the stakes are even higher than just her own life right now. But Priscilla's always been a thrill-seeker, even at her own risk - and she reiterates to herself she can rise to this challenge. "Can still do this..." She mutters, seeing the Slaughter Dagger fire a beam at L-Gaim.

But Priscilla always studies her opponents, and she knows the silhouette is different even in just the short time she's gotten to know it. But why...? Her eyes catch the Gunbarrel Striker flying in, but by the time she notices it, it's already way too late, and Priscilla braces for the impact. With its battle armour on, Brownie simply isn't fast enough to get out of the way.

All she can do is trade bullets with bullets, using her heavy armour as shield while the tail cannon fires on the Striker Pack to keep it at bay. When the dust settles, it's clear who wins the shootout. The Striker Pack's gunbarrel assault leaves Brownie's armour pack mangled to the point where Priscilla considers purging it - but considering who she's up against, she decides it's best not to be hasty about it. Instead she waits for an opening, Brownie leaping to the air as Priscilla considers his transmission.

"Probably got the wrong guy, but I guess I should've expected it." She asides with a shrug. The shadow of humanity's greed, though... "This planet really ''is'' no different from Endless Illusion." She adds, with a sigh. "I'm with you, Daba!" While L-Gaim flourishes its launcher saber against the Slaughter Dagger, Priscilla reveals a pair of hidden blades from the Brownie, aiming to chase down - and hopefully pierce a hole right through the Gunbarrel Striker before it can return to the Slaughter Dagger!
</poem>

 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Priscilla targets Neo Roanoke with Brownie Bladeworks!
 KTS: Gauma accepts Aurora Dusk's Jam L1!
 KTS: Best Defense! Gauma successfully reacts to Aurora Dusk's Jam L1, taking 0 damage!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke engages block against Priscilla's Brownie Bladeworks!
 KTS: Best Defense! Neo Roanoke successfully blocks Priscilla's Brownie Bladeworks, taking 2900 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Myrmidon Team has posed.
<poem>

        They're talking. It's faint to hear from Zabek's position, but he hears Neo's comment about shadows of human desire, and smirks grimly to himself.

        It is satisfying to see the Prophecy fall. He knows better than to expect that it's over. The Solenopsis steps out to regard the emerging YF-25, and holds its arms out to either side, welcoming the incoming fire. There is an invisible pulse, and the experience for Leon may be like firing into a wind turbine, like something is pushing all of his fire back, away from the Solenopsis. His gunpod is still outfitted to fight greater enemies than a wanzer, however, and his instincts are sharpened from the brief experience of danger. More fire riddles the Solenopsis than before, Leon's aim adjusted for the invisible force. The unit is tossed around by the force of the shots, and a shower of broken scales falls from its armor.

        It's still standing, though. A bulky armored wanzer would be in critical condition, and this spindly thing is still standing.

        A transmission through a voice changer. &lt;"What do you have to threaten me with? I've died once before."&gt; The Solenopsis raises its hands up to either side theatrically. &lt;"I'll never forget that smouldering heat. Do you want a glimpse of Hell?"&gt;

        And then, a shower of explosions. He didn't move, though the mirrored globe on the front of his unit is spinning up. He didn't launch anything. They're coming from below, once again from the gas mains and utility lines strewn beneath the streets of Macross City, sending geysers of pavement up from the ruptured streets. Solenopsis quickly moves to grab and hurl another water tank into the air. This one isn't aimed for the Prophecy, so long as Leon stays grounded. Just insurance to complicate the airspace.

</poem>
 KTS: Myrmidon Team targets Leon Sakaki with Enclose Target!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team's Combat High activates Trick and Alert!

 <Pose Tracker> Neo Roanoke has posed.
<poem>
        The purple Slaughter Dagger isn't running anymore, standing its ground as the L-Gaim leaps towards it. Neo brings the anti-beam coated shield in his machine's left hand up to meet the falling saber. But L-Gaim's blow is stronger than the Slaughter Dagger can stop, the shield knocked aside and the tip of the blade slicing through a section of armor on the Dagger's torso, leaving a deep groove cut into the machine.

        Neo doesn't take the strike without retaliation, stowing the beam rifle in his right hand and drawing his own blade of energy. The Dagger's beam saber ignites as Neo lunges forward, raising the weapon to point at L-Gaim as he tries to drive it through the machine, &lt;"You may want to rethink that. You might not like what you see. Or perhaps you will?"&gt;

        Meanwhile, the Slaughter Dagger's striker pack continues to act essentially on its own. Brownie moves to intercept as the craft pulls up to avoid crashing into the ground and briefly skim across close to the ground. Brownie manages to reach it in time, blade poised to strike, the Mobile Armor unable to avoid it entirely.

        Instead it twists in the air, leading to one of its gunpods moving into the path of the blade. The pod is ripped apart, torn from its mounting to crash to the ground.

        The rest of the Striker pack turns upwards, rising up into the air once more on the remaining thrusters launching flames out its back. It quickly rises, before cutting the thrust and spinning around to point down. It coasts in the air for a few moments before the engines ignite again and it starts to drive. Barrels slide out of the three gunpods still mounted around it and they begin to unleash heavy slugs at high speed towards Brownie, the street exploding upwards as the railgun rounds pound into it and potentially Priscilla as well.

</poem>
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Daba Myroad with ES01 Beam Saber Thrust!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Priscilla with Gunbarrel Pods Railgun Pounding!
 KTS: Daba Myroad engages guard against Neo Roanoke's ES01 Beam Saber Thrust!
 KTS: Best Defense! Daba Myroad successfully guards Neo Roanoke's ES01 Beam Saber Thrust, taking 3225 damage!
 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
 KTS: Priscilla engages charge against Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Pods Railgun Pounding!
 KTS: Priscilla successfully reacts to Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Pods Railgun Pounding, taking 4940 damage!
 KTS: Leon Sakaki engages evade against Myrmidon Team's Enclose Target!
 KTS: Leon Sakaki's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
 KTS: Critical Hit! Leon Sakaki poorly reacts to Myrmidon Team's Enclose Target, taking 3960 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
<poem>
The mere possibility of Koyomi being superhuman would have Chise cackling in his face for days.

Speaking of whom, Chise stays where her friends departed from, sitting on the bench quietly as she clutches her phone and watches the news feed. Her heart trembles, but...she doesn't call for her best friend. She takes a breath and chooses to believe in Dynazenon. "Come on guys..." she murmurs. "That thing's still out there...!"

"I can't see them!" Gauma calls out within Dynazenon. "Anybody!?"

Dynastriker skids onto a building and then into the sky, loop-de-looping through the air over Macross City. "I don't either! They must've hidden while the smoke was up!"

Another light from the sky, this time the Dynawing's bright red belly coursing down to skim over the rooftops. "You guys are hopeless!" Yume calls, and then Dynawing shoots past the gap of an open alley. "I've got this!"

Perhaps Aura has a moment to breathe before Dynawing suddenly loops the whole way around to point its guns ''straight down'' and fire into it!!
</poem>

 KTS: Gauma has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma targets Aurora Dusk with Dynawing Penetrator Guns!
 KTS: Gauma's Four Hearts In One Giant activates Valor!

 <Pose Tracker> Daba Myroad has posed.
<poem>
"Treating a wound is unpleasant!" Daba retorts as Neo suggests that he might regret dragging this action out into the light, "But sometimes it needs to be cauterised!"

He lifts L-Gaim's shield, and this is a more solid defense than Neo managed against his own strike, more of an angled deflection than an attempt to block head-on. Neo's saber scars L-Gaim's shoulder as he moves the saber behind the shield.

A second blade snaps to life on the opposite side of the shield before Daba drops it and jabs with the double-ended lancer, before twirling it to keep both ends relevant and dangerous before aiming two alternating sweeps at the Slaughter Dagger's legs.
</poem>

 KTS: Aurora Dusk engages evade against Gauma's Dynawing Penetrator Guns!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk's Beam Wall L2 activates, negating 2000 base damage.
 KTS: Aurora Dusk poorly reacts to Gauma's Dynawing Penetrator Guns, taking 2800 damage!
 KTS: Daba Myroad targets Neo Roanoke with Laser Saber-Lancer Flurry!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke engages charge against Daba Myroad's Laser Saber-Lancer Flurry!
 KTS: Best Defense! Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Daba Myroad's Laser Saber-Lancer Flurry, taking 4200 damage!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 
 <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
<poem>
         Don't let public opinion fool you - A mobile weapon can be surprisingly stealthy. Especially when it's a Slaughter Dagger and Aurora is putting her training to good use. She slips into a series of... they're analogous to alleyways, at least, making her way to double back on at least one of the machines undetected.

        Then hellfire rains from above her and she has to scramble to get out of the way. Again, Aurora pops smoke, this time in a pattern around her as she dodges as well as she can. As well as she can isn't that great at the moment, unfortunately. These guys are no slouches...

        &lt;"You're right,"&gt; a harsh, buzzing, distorted voice calls from within the cloud of smoke. &lt;"We're not."&gt; Aurora finally deigns to respond to Gauma's comment, finding herself unable to stay silent the entire battle. Again, her machine slips to the side, elsewhere in the cloud of smoke... then, out from the cloud of smoke closest to the Dynawing, her gunbarrels come shooting out, dancing around it, trying to pin it to the ground and shoot it down.
</poem>

 KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Gauma with Gunbarrel Pods Combined Assault!
 KTS: Gauma engages guard against Aurora Dusk's Gunbarrel Pods Combined Assault!
 KTS: Gauma moderately guards Aurora Dusk's Gunbarrel Pods Combined Assault, taking 5185 damage!
 
 <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
<poem>
Priscilla continues to chase around the Gunbarrel Striker, feeling a spark of motivation when she gets at least one of the gunpods with her blade, even as she sees Daba and their mysterious opponent clash their own blades in the near-distance. And then the Striker Pack once again abruptly breaks off, those railguns extending... and Priscilla sees her chance. If she doesn't get in the way, it will make the streets around them her target, so what choice does she have except to rush in?

At this speed, the damage the railgun rounds are able to cause is devastating. Brownie's armour - or what's left of it, anyways, isn't in any shape handle it anymore. Where Brownie had stood, there's a sizeable explosion, followed by shattered purple pieces of armour scattering to the ground. Did he get her? Well, maybe ''part'' of her.

"Not yet!" Priscilla's voice echoes, as the true form of Brownie appears from behind the Striker Pack - much slimmer without its armour, and much faster, too. It wasn't easy to pull a move like that off... but Priscilla finally feels like she's in the zone now, hanging at the very edge of her limits. "All right, Brownie... let's show 'em what we can really do. Sparkling Dropkick!!" Priscilla ignites Brownie's legs with sparkling electricity, aiming to ''slam'' the rest of the Gunbarrel Striker into the ground with the force of a kick, hopefully before it can aim those railguns on her.

Of course, that means Priscilla's still keeping one card up her sleeve. But if she survives what comes next, perhaps she'll be able to show it to Neo.
</poem>

 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 Priscilla transforms to Brownie <Full Battle Mode>

 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla targets Neo Roanoke with Sparkling Dropkick!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke engages evade against Priscilla's Sparkling Dropkick!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Priscilla's Sparkling Dropkick, taking 5850 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
<poem>
The Dynazenon Team is nimble, and Dynawing maybe the most of them all, but a surprise attack is just that.

"So it ''can'' talk," Gauma scoffs, but Yume's yelling, "What the hell!? She's everywhere!!" already as the blasts rain into her from all angles, gunbarrels firing away from all angles. "Augh! Get her off me! YOMOGI, HELP!"

"Get AWAY!" Yomogi yells, Dynasoldier charging into the fray and sweeping a claw to force Aurora back. "Yume!" "Yeah!"

Dynasoldier leaps into the air and Dynawing catches it with its belly, the two machines interlocking with clear and bright fans of light, and the two pilots call: "Dynasoldier!" "Wing Combine!!"

The dragon-like warrior with the wing pack loops around to clear off the rest of the gunbarrels, then DIVES for Aurora. "Yume! Up!" Yomogi calls - and then lashes out with Dynasoldier's claws to GRAB the Slaughter Dagger. Then Dynawing pulls up, into a straight, vertical ascent, vanishing into the clouds.

Only then does Yume pull up ''even further'', completely inverting Wing Combine so that Yomogi can let the Slaughter Dagger go and simply send her flying into the ocean.

Soon after that release, Dynastriker and Dynadiver start shooting, photon bullets and missiles arcing upward!!
</poem>

 KTS: Gauma has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma targets Aurora Dusk with Dynasoldier Wing Combine: You Are Going To Space!
 KTS: Gauma's Four Hearts In One Giant activates Wall!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
 KTS: Aurora Dusk engages evade against Gauma's Dynasoldier Wing Combine: You Are Going To Space!
 KTS: Best Defense! Aurora Dusk successfully reacts to Gauma's Dynasoldier Wing Combine: You Are Going To Space, taking 0
 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Neo Roanoke has posed.
<poem>
        &lt;"We're more of a congenital disease than a wound. A distortion deep in the heart of humanity. You might be able to treat the symptoms, but the source will always be there."&gt;

        Neo backs off for a moment after his strike, taking in the movements of his opponent. The appearance of the second blade is somewhat surprising. It's not a weapon type commonly seem. But also not unheard of either. It might make things a little tricky though... So Neo settles on a bold move.

        As L-Gaim starts to spin its double bladed weapon, the Slaughter Dagger starts to run forward, heading straight towards its opponent. L-Gaim swings for the legs, but the Slaughter Dagger jumps a moment before hand, thrusters igniting. It doesn't result in a miss, but it does prevent the blades from slicing clean through the legs, only leaving deep cuts behind while the limbs remain attached. Which is a good thing for Neo's plan...

        ... As the Slaughter Dagger brings its foot down on L-Gaim's head to use as a stepping stone to leap higher.

        The Striker Pack pulls up again after its dive. Whether its onboard systems can register surprise is a question for its engineers. But what it does register is an incoming attack. It quickly sweeps to the side in an attempt to avoid the kick, only partially succeeding as the foot strikes the side of the frame.

        The Striker Pack is pushed into a roll, partially hitting the ground and scrapping along it, digging up asphalt as its thrusters continue to push it forward until it can pull up once more away from the street. Unfortunately the gatling gun was torn apart from the impact. Though it still has its three gunpods. And yet the craft doesn't turn to make another run on Priscilla. Instead it continues barreling straight down the street, flying between the buildings towards where Neo and Daba are fighting. The front half of the Mobile Armor folds upwards and over, before impacting against the back of the Slaughter Dagger after it has leaped off L-Gaim.

        Neo grunts from the forceful impact of the Striker Pack reconnecting to his machine, its thrusters quickly accelerating him down the street before he cuts them. The Slaughter Daggers land again, spinning around to face its two opponents as it swiftly stores its beam saber and retrieves its beam rifle. The Dagger skids to a halt and Neo says, &lt;"Well, this has been an interesting battle. But I suppose it's time to finish up."&gt;

        The barrels of the gunpod's railguns slide out again, while hatches open up to reveal missiles beneath. Meanwhile the Dagger raises its beam rifle, all the weapons aimed down the street towards the two. It then unleashes them all, a combination of missiles, railgun rounds and beams streaking out towards Priscilla and Daba.

</poem>
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Daba Myroad with Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike!
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke targets Priscilla with Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike!
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla engages evade against Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike!
 KTS: Best Defense! Priscilla successfully reacts to Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike, taking 300 damage!
 KTS: Daba Myroad engages block against Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike!
 KTS: Critical Hit! Daba Myroad poorly blocks Neo Roanoke's Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike, taking 6800 damage!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Neo Roanoke's Covert Operative activates, causing Jam L1!
 KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Neo Roanoke's Ace Pilot activates, causing Control Bonus!
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Priscilla
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Priscilla
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!

 <Pose Tracker> Daba Myroad has posed.
<poem>
The striker pack recombines with the Dagger, and Daba grimaces as its weapon ports unfold and missile racks are revealed. "Priscilla!" He raises L-Gaim's shield and plants the Heavy Metal's feet.

"Behind me!"

The Heavy Metal and the custom Armor vanish in the explosions and dust cloud kicked up by the sheer volley of firepower unloaded on them.

The smoke billows, and then there's the sound of something heavy and metallic being tossed aside, and L-Gaim's shield, almost completely shredded, bounces in pieces out of the cloud...

... swiftly followed by the machine itself, laser blasts flying from its forearm-mounted weapon as it closes the distance, laser lancer held in hand but deactivated... and the other hand holding some kind of heavy segmented disc. As L-Gaim leaps again, Daba hurls that disc towards the Slaughter Dagger, where its segments come apart - no, those are shrapnel mines! They detonate early, surrounding the Slaughter Dagger in disorienting blasts of smoke and metallic shards... and L-Gaim plunges into the cloud.

"Got you!" The laser lancer's blades reignite, and Daba jabs, slashes and spins the weapon, aiming to pressure Neo into making a mistake that Brownie can capitalise on. Another hilt pops out from its other forearm, snatched up by its now empty hand to add a third blade to the energy whirlwind.
</poem>

 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Daba Myroad has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
 KTS: Daba Myroad targets Neo Roanoke with Full Arsenal Attack Sequence!

 <Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
<poem>
Leon shakes as explosions ripple out around him, blowing off pieces of his armor and shearing off one of his wings. Flames. Panic. Screaming. Just like then. Exactly like then. Except this time, it's humans. Should he... No. No more Mias. He can't let there be any more Mias. In desperation, he transforms to Battroid and draws his Assault Knife, the wicked edge gleaming with a barrier.

Pushing his thrusters to their limit, he charges right at the Wanzer that's been menacing him.

"C'MERE!" The YF-25 makes its final charge.
</poem>

 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has activated the Wall Spirit Command.
 KTS: Neo Roanoke engages guard against Daba Myroad's Full Arsenal Attack Sequence!
 KTS: Best Defense! Neo Roanoke successfully guards Daba Myroad's Full Arsenal Attack Sequence, taking 5538 damage!
 KTS: Leon Sakaki has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
 KTS: Leon Sakaki targets Myrmidon Team with AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
 KTS: Myrmidon Team engages evade against Leon Sakaki's AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge!
 KTS: Myrmidon Team poorly reacts to Leon Sakaki's AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife Pinpoint Lunge, taking 5300 damage!

 <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
<poem>
Priscilla's fruitless chase against the Striker Pack finally comes to an end when it docks back with the Slaughter Dagger proper. And it fires - not just the gunpods, or the railguns, or the beam rifle - but a full volley of everything at once. Priscilla's eyesight doesn't do her much good - her immediate field of vision covered by smoke, dust, and light. But she can still rely on her sharply-honed instincts - boldly skating in juuust the right direction. It comes close enough that she feels the heat of all the weapons themselves just marginally pass her by, Brownie's slim frame shuddering from the impact.

Priscilla finds she's unable to stop her momentum, until Brownie finally skids to a halt. She's still alive, that by some miracle, Brownie can still fight. "Daba! Are you all right?" She calls, because from the sound of it, L-Gaim took the brunt of the damage from the Slaughter Dagger's assault. "I'm still kicking but... no way I'll be able to take another one of those." L-Gaim charges in for an all weapons strike, and Priscilla knows exactly what she needs to do. "So let's not give them the chance!"

L-Gaim's attack sequence gives Priscilla the perfect cover she needs, forcing Brownie to leap all the way up above the Slaughter Dagger. "Already over, you say? At least let me show you my Pixie Stab before you go!" If given the chance, Priscilla wraps her whip around the Striker Pack on the back, using it as a grapple, before sending Brownie ''hurling'' downwards to stab through the Slaughter Dagger's head - with the precision to go no further than that. Thanks to Kaworu, she can no longer say it's a guaranteed match ender anymore... but it should still pack quite the punch if it lands.
</poem>

 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Priscilla targets Neo Roanoke with Pixie Stab!

 <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
<poem>
         Aurora watches Yume dance as her gunbarrels hem her in, hammering her to her demise. Or, that was the plan. Even with her skills, there's not much she can do about Dynasoldier's onslaught other than 'let him force her back and break off her attack'.

        But she's not done yet. Dynazenon's teamwork is hot-blooded, full of spirit, yelling; Aurora's silence must seem cold in comparison. They combine their machines and seize Aurora before she can manage to escape, taking her up, up, up...

        It's true that Aurora has been fighting with a cold atmosphere around her. She isn't the type that screams loudly with every move she makes, especially when she's on a covert operation. But even living weapons have their pride and their spirit. Aurora, too, has her way of life as a soldier, and the will of the Cyber-Newtype corps rises to meet the Dyna team's passion.

        Aurora is no stranger to giving herself over to her instincts; letting them flow through her. It's how she was designed, you could say. Most people like her fight in that kind of flow state. It doesn't matter if they're natural or artificial anymore. They're a part of her, and she'd be incomplete without them. Everything feels far away, even property damage, except for the rivals in front of her. Her heart is clear, and all that she is exists in this moment.

        It happens in the blink of an eye. Dyna Wing inverts. Dyna Soldier lets go. &lt;"Not yet!"&gt; A buzzing, harsh voice; distorted, but with its own pride. Aurora engages her thrusters, gracefully flipping over like a dolphin in the air where she hangs - and then opens fire with everything she has. Gunbarrels swarm. Vulcans roar to life. Her beam rifle fires rapidly. All of her weapons unite to tear apart the enemies in front of her as she hangs in midair, then slows her descent to the ground, landing in the street instead of the ocean like they'd hoped.

        The volley of fire fills the sky. Spread enough to be hard to dodge, focused enough to rip apart the enemy, or so she intends. Perhaps fate has something else in mind?
</poem>

 KTS: Aurora Dusk targets Gauma with Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike!
 KTS: Gauma engages evade against Aurora Dusk's Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike!
 KTS: Best Defense! Gauma moderately reacts to Aurora Dusk's Gunbarrel Striker Alpha Strike, taking 0 damage!
 KTS: Priscilla's The most fun I've ever had! activates!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke fails to engage Evade against Priscilla's Pixie Stab!
 KTS: Best Defense! Neo Roanoke successfully reacts to Priscilla's Pixie Stab, taking 5475 damage!
 KTS: Neo Roanoke has been defeated!

 <Pose Tracker> Neo Roanoke has posed.
<poem>
        That's unfortunate. Neo had been hoping he'd take the one with the whip out, leaving him with plenty of opportunity to finish off the other one. But it seems the latter's pilot has a bit of a heroic streak in him. No matter. It's not like killing them is one of the objectives anyway. Though it does mean this will likely end in a more hectic retreat than a casual stroll back to the beach.

        L-Gaim charges in once more. And once more the Slaughter Dagger stows its beam rifle in favor of switching to a beam saber. What happens next is a flurry of sweeping streaks of light and clouds of sparks as the Slaughter Dagger, with its shield and saber, counters the strikes from L-Gaim in a mostly defensive stance, backing up as its doing so. But as Daba is hoping, it's keeping Neo's focus mostly on him.

        Which gives Priscilla the opportunity she needs to get in around Neo's defenses and strike from above!

        Neo sees it coming though. He can't bring either his shield or saber to bear as they are tied up with L-Gaim. And his other weapons aren't going to be able to stop Brownie's attack. So he has only one option...

        Another pair of jamming smoke canisters jettison from the Slaughter Dagger's waist. They clatter to the ground, quickly kicking up a cloud of obscuring smoke as Brownie's whip comes down towards the Dagger's head.

        The smoke makes it hard to see exactly what happens, but by the feel of the strike, Priscilla is fairly certain that her aim was on point. Meanwhile Daba will quickly realize that the Slaughter Dagger is no longer moving as he is able to slice its arms off with ease, causing the held beam saber and shield to fall to the ground. The smoke begins to spread out, reducing the concentration in the immediate area and allowing a close look at the Dagger. It's not just been disarmed, it's completely motionless. Did Priscilla hit something more sensitive than expected? Caution is still warranted though, it may be a trap.

        But as the smoke clears a little more, something surprising can be seen about the Dagger's chest...

        The cockpit hatch is open!

        At that moment, the Gunbarrel Striker pack detaches from the Slaughter Dagger. Its nose folds back down as it transforms into Mobile Armor mode and its thrusters fire, causing it to quickly start rising into the air away from its host machine and the two that disabled it.

        In the cockpit of the Gunbarrel Striker pack, Neo doesn't even look back as he simply flies away, on a course towards the designated extraction location for the submarine.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Myrmidon Team has posed.
<poem>

        The Myrmex Engine is spinning up. Those without subtle senses are blind to the feeling of the storm that's coming. The quantum foam roils. A light flashes on the globe at the front of the Solenopsis body, like an eye opening and staring beneath the crude matter of the world.

        A motion like lightning.

        Leon Sakaki's assault knife cuts through the globe. The eye flickers out and dies. The Solenopsis stutters and loses its human posture for a moment. Reinhert Zabek's hand hovers over the opened switchbox of the Myrmex Engine's Autofeed Mode, and then clasps it shut again. &lt;"The hero defeats the monster, the priest drives out the devil..."&gt;

        His will cannot be so easily extinguished. He takes hold of the Myrmex Engine, raises the Solenopsis straight again. &lt;"But they always come back again when the next story is told. When someone needs another monster."&gt; It kicks off the ground in a prodigious leap, and then fires its rear jet engine, partially fueled by a reserve battery. A limb occasionally falls limp in the air from the damage to the central control system. He clicks a switch above the cockpit, switching back to encrypted frequency. "This is Reinhert. That's all she can weather. Falling back to rendezvous point delta."

        His signal on sensors will soon disappear, somewhere over the middle of the ocean, where no authorized sea traffic was scheduled to be.

</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
<poem>
"She recovered!?" Yume stammers in surprise.

Chise whistles, far away under a streetlight. "Nice flip," she quips, and then the return volley begins. Fire in every direction, gunbarrels and rifles and every other kind of death raining down. For a moment, amid the explosions and minovsky light, tracking is lost.

But in that moment, Dynawing and Dynasoldier and Dynastriker converge on the sea.

Dynadiver leaps skyward. Dynastriker splits in half and bends and stretches, revealing itself as a pair of arms and hands. Dynawing drops off a crest of a helmet as Dynasoldier bends back on itself, arms and legs twisting inward, and Dynadiver itself splits in two, forming legs. A blazing flash of light blots out all vision...and for just a moment, a warrior in red and gold shines above the fallen Macross.

But just a moment.

It bends around itself further. Its arms slam together and glide down its back. Arms become claws; legs become talons, and a hero's face becomes a dragon's maw. Four hearts scream, roaring across the night.

"SUPER DRAGON!! DYNA! REEEEEEEEEEEX!"

BGM: https://youtu.be/j6N2DV3lclY?si=Z-lCVQkxWKn02RLW Masayoshi Oishi - Imperfect (Dynazenon OP)

It rounds on the Slaughter Dagger, massive wings flapping in the way that plane could never have, before thrusters ignite and carry it charging toward Aurora.

"Wrong. &#42;RIGHT NOW&#42;," Gauma yells. The jewel in its mouth sparkles as it intakes air.

"BLAZING INFERNO!" Gauma screams at the helm, but they all join him for the finale: "REX! ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"

%It ignites, and the night is filled with a towering gout of flame wider than Dynarex itself as it screams.
Gauma transforms to Dynarex
</poem>

 KTS: Gauma has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
 KTS: Gauma targets Aurora Dusk with Blazing Inferno Rex Roar!
 KTS: Gauma's Four Hearts In One Giant activates Strike!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk engages evade against Gauma's Blazing Inferno Rex Roar!
 KTS: Critical Hit! Aurora Dusk poorly reacts to Gauma's Blazing Inferno Rex Roar, taking 8520 damage!
 KTS: Aurora Dusk has been defeated!

 <Pose Tracker> Aurora Dusk has posed.
<poem>
         Aurora does her best to pour destruction on the Dyna units, chasing them as well as she can dogfighting with the Dagger in the air, but... "A combiner?!" The gleaming, heroic giant becomes a dragon. Good, part of Aurora thinks. They're all in once place now.

        The rest of her realises that this is in fact very ''not'' good.

        Aurora's eyes open wide as the dragon... opens its mouth. Yes, that makes sense. Charges for her. That too. ...inhales sharply? Again, she ignites her thrusters, trying to get out of the way, but there's no escaping this one.

        Gauma and the team's screaming drowns out the alarms in Aurora's cockpit as the gout of flame consumes the Slaughter Dagger completely...

        ...or so it seems. Aurora manages to twist away enough to not be totally incinerated. The Dagger might not ''technically'' be destroyed, but it can no longer fly, or fight, or really move. The wreck plummets into the ocean, flying away from the battlefield in a neat and convenient arc.

        There IS enough left in the Dagger to barely start moving towards the submarine, but it's not quite enough, and the pilot has to call for a rescue as the verniers sputter and die, leaving it drifting. Floating in said ocean, Aurora wrenches her cockpit open, standing on the wreckage while waiting to be picked up. She removes her helmet, shaking her hair loose, and turns her head to the night sky. This far out from the city, the stars are visible. Aurora studies the ones in the general direction of the city with a thoughtful gaze.

        "Dyna... rex."

        Either way, Phantom Pain's goal is accomplished. The city is roughed up enough for a charity concert. Aurora wonders if Lilium would be able to take having this kind of thing done on her behalf.

        Probably not.
</poem>

 KTS: Really eject? [Enter `yes' or `no']
 KTS: Ejection aborted.

 <Pose Tracker> Daba Myroad has posed.
<poem>
The combined assault from L-Gaim and Brownie leaves the purple Slaughter Dagger... motionless?

Daba squints. "Something's not right."

Then, the Striker pack jettisons and starts flying away from them, and Daba notices the cockpit hatch of the mobile suit is open.

... Well. The fight's over, at least. Still...

"What kind of greed justifies violence like this?" He wonders, stomach turned.

Lilith, still perched on his shoulder, shakes her head, equally incredulous. "It all seems so... pointless."

L-Gaim pulls back to retrieve the ruins of its shield. "Thanks for the help, Priscilla. We'd better fall back to the Turner."
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Leon Sakaki has posed.
<poem>
"Gotcha!" Leon drives the Assault Knife into the big ugly "eye" of the Solenopsis, cutting it open like butter and causing sparks to fly.

As it flies away, Leon pants from exertion and stress, letting the Wanzer go as the pilot monologues at him over the radio. To that, Leon fires back a message on an open channel.

&lt;"You talk too much, man."&gt;

Leon gives a long exhale, and looks down and around at the state of his Valkyrie and the wrecked city around him. A lot of people were hurt, but there would be no more violence tonight. His stomach is churning, but he did a good thing, right? Even if they were human, he prevented further loss of life...? He decides it's best not to dwell on it. Leon sighs, and radios back to the Gefion.

"Hey, Aisha... you know what you said about taking better care of my fighter...?"
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Priscilla has posed.
<poem>
In Priscilla's experience, Pixie Stab usually forces her target to stumble a bit, from the sheer precision impact. This... doesn't really feel the same way, it's as if her opponent didn't react to the strike at all. "That's..." Priscilla frowns, as the Slaughter Dagger goes limp like a ragdoll, only for the Striker Pack to fly off. "He got away!" ...And they're in no condition to give chase. It's a pyrrhic victory, if any.

It seems like everyone else has things under control, too. The Variable Fighter pilot forcing back the Solenopsis... and Dynarex forming and launching a mighty ball of fire. Despite everything, Priscilla allows herself an awe-filled gasp to see it.

"All this damage... it's horrible," Priscilla shakes her head, and Brownie does too, as she finally has a chance to assess her surroundings. What greed could possibly justify this, Daba asks. "Does anything justify this?" Brownie sheaths its blades, and retracts its whip. "Or did they do it just because they could?"

"Yeah, no problem. Thanks for having my back... think I'd be in real trouble right now without it." She admits, following L-Gaim back to the Turner. Brownie's going to need some major touch-ups after this one... but Priscilla can only imagine the amount of work the ''city'' is going to need.
</poem>

 <Pose Tracker> Gauma has posed.
<poem>
The flames from Dynarex expire, and the looming Super Dragon remains in the air for some time watching over the damaged city.

"Did you hear that? Didn't that pilot say they weren't human?" Yomogi mumbles, considering.

"I think that was probably more of a metaphor..." Koyomi replies. "I don't think the actual aliens use machines like those."

While the team debates that matter, Gauma huffs a sigh and grabs for the controls. "A'right, gang, let's head back."

"After we pick up Chise," Yume reminds him.

"After we pick up Chise," Gauma repeats.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Phase 2]]
[[Category:Phase 2, Turn 2]]