2022-11-11: And I Feel Fine

• Log: And I Feel Fine
• Cast: Spike Spiegel, Ranka Lee, GaoGaiGo Team, Eight York, Lavnadim Orlodhari, Yuta Hibiki, Mic Sounders the 13th, Anti
• Where: Macross Frontier Fleet, Island 3
• OOC - IC Date: 2022 11-11
• Summary: The Folmo Mall gets a visitor in the form of Mic Sounders the 13th. A rock battle ensues!! Mostly battle.

---

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

Sales! Limited time promotions! Pre-pre-pre-holiday sales!

Here on Frontier Island 3, The Folmo Mall, famous for accomodating both full-sized and micronized Zentraedi, is crowded today, the muttering of customers somehow still drowned out by the occasional broadcasted musical commercial jingle. Advertisements on the Frontier are always big, dazzling and fancy, whether they're for stylish new shoes or a cologne said to, quote, 'convey the essence of deep space.' Whatever that means. It's almost noon, and visitors are just starting to file into the food court.

But if it's that early, why has the sky outside turned the deep, blazing orange of the dawn?

An ES-Window opens, a strange, shimmering light, and fro it emerges a silhouette of a mecha...with a guitar?

Is this a new stunt by Fire Bomber?

Distracted by this new spectacle, shoppers start filing out into the parking lot and standing near the windows and balconies of the mall, curious and hoping for an impromptu concert.

Meanwhile, the silver-blue mech flies in on his GS-Ride platform, Studio 7, a big grin on his face. "Heeey, Frontier!" he bellows happily into his microphone.

Mic doesn't know many Zentraedi personally, but he feels a kinship with them based on what he does know. They're (sometimes) big and he's big...ish! They love music and he loves music! That's got to be enough! And what Mic feels a kinship for, he has to destroy. It's the kindest thing to do. Even he, in his ever-cheerful way, has been overpowered by the Oath Over Omega.

"YEAH! Everybody, let's rock...! Disc X, Set On...!"

Mic opens the disc player in his chest and inserts the infamous Disc X. Pulling out his Glittering Double V guitar, he starts playing the opening notes of the Fire Bomber Hit, 'Totsugeki Love Heart.' He not only hits the notes, he nails them! But the initial glee over the surprise concert by this strange visiting robot quickly turns to terror when the Solitary Waves produced by Disc X start causing the mall to quake, knocking over gigantic teacups and mannequins as the glass windows start shattering one by one.

Mic Sounders the 13th will give this place its final concert. And somehow he forgot that Fire Bomber is from the Macross 7 Fleet, actually...

KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has deployed in Kakuseijin GaiGo.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has deployed in Gridman Primal Fighter.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has changed loadout.
KTS: Ranka Lee has deployed as a Sub Pilot for Yuta Hibiki!
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has deployed in Kakuseijin GaiGo.
KTS: Anti has deployed as a Sub Pilot for Spike Spiegel!

<Pose Tracker> Spike Spiegel has posed.

"You see him, Jet?"

Inside Folmo Mall, Jet Black is sitting at a coffee shop... with a cup of coffee in his cybernetic hand. He takes a sip -- and glances up at a large mirror. There, he spots a man pulling a baseball cap over his head. His voice is low, as he answers the person speaking over the radio. "I see him, Spike. How we doing this?"

"Maybe give him a scare," Spike says, with a barely stifled yawn that's audible. "Then I'll corner him. His MONO Racer is parked outside, so he'll probably take off."

"Frontier Fleet and SMS won't like that."

"Yeah, but they don't like a lot of stuff."

"Spike," Jet grunts. "You know what happens when you cause collateral in a Macross Fleet colony ship. I told you about the bill we got when we did this stunt in the Macross Eleven last month. And we still haven't paid--"

The ES Window opens. Jet cuts off, as Totsugeki Love Heart makes him jump -- squish his coffee cup in his cybernetic hand -- and splash coffee everywhere. The man in the baseball hat spots him, before he turns and bolts. "Shit."

"Shit! Jet, what the hell is that!?"

"Brave Robo, Spike!" Jet answers, as he turns, and starts sprinting after him.

"Jet, what the hell is that?"

"It's... a talking robot. From the Primeval Wars," Jet says. "And they've shown up recently, but there's something wrong with them."

"Uh--"

"Spike, just get airborne. The perp's running for it," Jet says, as he does a bolt -- the soundwaves rattling the ground -- and leaps over a yelling man.

Somehwere below, there is a sudden blast from the parking garage, as a large trailer on a truck explodes outward -- the sides of it collapsing each way. Then, a sleek red fighter shoots out -- the VTOL thrusters firing it over a parked car (and shattering all of its windows on the way) -- before it breaks up, sharply, into the sky. The Swordfish II, a heavily customized MONO Racer, lifts into the clear blue artificial skies of Island Frontier.

Spike Spiegel looks out in his rumpled suit, his eyebrow twitching as he gets a good look at Mic Sounders the 13th. "What the hell is that," he repeats. "A brave robo? And--"

Then, he blinks. He turns his head, looking over the seat, and shouts as he flies a jet fighter without looking where he is going. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE, KID!?"

KTS: Spike Spiegel targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Pass!

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

A Daruma with a yellow bow at the Island 3 mall rolls around on a rounded platform set out, she's attracted only a handful of passers by...

        "If you're falling or failing
        "Then you're absolutely in luck
        "As long as you join
        "You're sure to pass!"

It rolls around faster and faster in place, in front of the Cram School known as Daruma Seminars.

        "Even if you feel
        "There's nothing you can do-

'Heeey, Frontier!'

Ranka gets startled by the volume, and the Daruma rolls off the platform setup, much to the chagrin of the Zentradi in a Hakama watching over her. "Are you alright?"

With a huge hand, he grabs Ranka and sets her upright even as those who had gathered to watch move instead to look at the robot, "I'm sorry!" She bows to him apologetically, an act made difficult by the Daruma head she's wearing over her torso now, "That just really startled me - is some kind of promotion going on today?"
'YEAH! Everybody, let's rock...! Disc X, Set On...!'

And then to the tune of one of her brother's favorite songs everything starts to shake. The Zentradi with her falls over, glass starts to shatter, people start screaming. And Ranka falls on her butt, looking on high, at the Robot up above on a platform...

... rocking out, while her whole world explodes. Speechless, she sees another scene of destruction in her mind's eye, and for a few moments she can't move. Utterly paralyzed. Then on her hands and knees, Daruma belly scraping across the concrete, she crawls tremulously, beneath a nearby bench meant for much taller Zentradi, and clings to its metal moorings, as everything starts to come to an end, "Huh-Help-Help!" She sobs clinging to it as chaos breaks out all around her, "Someone... please help me!"

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

The report goes out: Mic Sounders the 13th, beloved musical robot turned Triple Zero operative, has been sighted on the Macross Frontier fleet making an attack. GaiGo, Orbit Base's sole current operative, has been deployed, as while normally without Final Fusion, it'd be dangerous fighting a Triple Zero agent...

It's Mic. What's the worst that could happen?

Ikumi Kaidou was quiet most of the way there. He's been brooding for a while, though after talking to Koji Kabuto, he's been slightly more outgoing. Once the Kakuseijin GaiGo had made it to the site of the music, he finally speaks up. "We're not equipped for low-gravity combat. Mamoru, do your best."

This warms Mamoru's heart, as Accept Mode Mode readies scanners. The speakers of the unit light up, as Mamoru speaks from the 'womb-head' of the machine. "Mic! Please, stop this violence! You're scaring everyone!" He knows how to talk to Mic, always has. "Can't we talk this out?!"

He knows they can't. But...he wants to believe in his friend's ability to snap out of this, anyways. He begins scanning combat data, feeding it to all nearby machines in an attempt to designate Mic for combat!

KTS: GaoGaiGo Team targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Designate L1!

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

The mall is a lot of fun! It's crowded, of course, but that's not a problem for one Eight York, who is wearing a lovely red day-dress and some nice heels she's not having to work out at all, rather than her uniform. She is not having to work out the heels because, of course, she's sitting on a giant's shoulder.

Specifcally, she's sitting on her giant boyfriend's shoulder. Lavhi--Lavnadim Orlodhari--is dressed in brown and yellow, a fine combination with his green skin, and his shaggy black hair is thick enough for Eight to be hiding in it if she wanted. But she doesn't. She's just sitting with him, happily leaning on him as they walk through the mall. "This is nice," she says up to his ear, as they move on their way to a restaurant. But they pause, and Eight waves at Ranka from her perch high above as they see her. The sky, though, she hasn't noticed. And suddenly--

A mecha with a guitar! This is not itself a problem, but Eight, suddenly, "I have a bad feeling about this--"

Disc X! The music is great. Unfortunately, the damage is also great. The mall starts quaking, and Lavhi immediately reaches up to put Eight in his hands, rather than risk her falling. "No!" he says, and she looks around sharply--

"Over there!" Eight says to Lavhi, "That VF! It's a display but it might still work!"

"Right!" He says, and reaaaches over to set Eight down, gently, whereupon she jumps the fence (in heels) and climbs up into the VF.

"Be careful!" they call to each other, as Lavhi takes up a kneeling position to shield Ranka. "Do not worry," he tells her. But he won't have to defend alone, because--

The Nightmare Plus roars to life!! "Eight York, deploying!"

KTS: Eight York has deployed in VF-171 Nightmare Plus <Battroid Mode>.
KTS: Eight York's VF-171 Nightmare Plus <Battroid Mode> has been disabled.
KTS: Eight York has deployed in VF-171 Nightmare Plus <Fighter Mode>.
KTS: Eight York targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Pass!

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

After an official Shuffle Alliance warning from the ever-mysterious Spade-7, the Neon Genesis Junior High Students were on high alert for Ruin Apostles. It didn't take long for word to reach them of the disturbance in Frontier Island 3. With a quick call to Captain York, Yuta once again finds himself on a spaceship.

Accompanying him this time are Calibur and Max, leaving Borr and Vit behind in Tsutsujidai in case anything goes wrong. All three men huddle near Junk -- lugged onto Eight's ship by Max, something he bore without complaint. Max is seated near the ancient computer, arms crossed in front of his chest. Yuta sits on the floor against a wall, decidedly not looking out any windows, and Calibur... Seems to be knitting? In fact, trailing red string leads to Yuta's lap, where the young man is helpfully holding a ball of surprisingly high-quality yarn.

Once they actually arrive at the mall, Yuta's eyes bug out. He actually moves to a window at this point, staring at the... guitar-playing mech. "That's a song from the band Asuka recommended to me." Yuta mutters, still holding the yarnball. "What the hell."

"I--it's a mystery." Calibur intones, not bothering to look up. "But it's doing damage to the mall. W--we have to stop it."

"Indeed. I believe my skills are best suited for this mission, Yuta. If the mall is in peril, we can potentially use my strength to help support it." Max says, keeping a careful eye on the boy as he looks out the window.

Gridman nods from the screen of Junk. "I agree. Your armor will help protect us from those sound blasts, too."

"Alright." Yuta stretches his in front of his chest, pulling one hand toward his body, then the other. "Let's stop this thing before anyone gets hurt."

Handing the yarn ball back to Calibur, Yuta joins Max in standing before Junk. "Access... Flash!"

---

Almost certainly adding to the panic, a Giant of Light emerges near the brave robo. It's enormously tall and bulky -- though most of that bulk is around his shoulders and arms. His legs look a little spindly in comparison. With cannons extending from each shoulder, and immense armor protecting his fists, this is a Gridman ready for some serious damage.

"Stop this at once!" Gridman calls, falling into a fighting stance. "You're endangering the lives of everyone here! If you want to share your music, there are far better times and places."

Knowing what they know of Ruin Apostles from Spade-7's report, trying to talk to Mic certainly won't work. But they still have to try.

KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Pass!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Spike Spiegel's Pass, taking 0 damage!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Eight York's Pass, taking 0 damage!
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team designates Mic Sounders the 13th, making him easier to target and opening him to indirect fire.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Yuta Hibiki's Pass, taking 0 damage!
KTS: Ranka Lee targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Pass!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Ranka Lee's Pass, taking 0 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

At first Mic is so caught up in his song that he doesn't even notice there are defenders deploying against him. He even sings along with Totsugeki Love Heart and nails every word and note. It would be entertaining were it not for those destructive Solitary Waves he's sending out.

Mamoru's combat data will reveal that Mic is designated a 'Sound Robo' who uses sonic attacks, no pilot. But it's Mamoru's voice that finally gets a bright, but confused reaction from the Brave Robo.

"Mamoru?! You're not flying around?" Curious, the mech tilts his head and makes a confused little grunt. "Oh, I want to talk it out, but-but Swan and Stallion warned me I am not allowed to talk it out! Especially with you! I'm sorry! But maybe you can join us and then we can hang out again!"

Then Gridman bellows a demand. "Whoa, a BIG big guy! Sorry, but everyone has to be destroyed! No more life allowed. It's nothing personal...!"

'Mic!' Back on the J-Phoenix, Swan radios Mic. 'They're just trying to distract you. You've got this! We'll all be proud of you when it's over...! But in the meantime, there's two more potential enemies approaching!' She highlights the Swordfish and the VF on Mic's radar.

"Proud of Mic...!" Without explaining what that was about, he draws his mouth into a determined grimace. "Okay...! No talking it out allowed, everybody...! Disc M, Set on!"

With that he swaps out discs, instead inserting one with a monster emblem. He kicks off a rendition of 'Holy Lonely Light,' and the sonic waves from his guitar and speakers will damage and weaken any mech-or machine-that they strike.

<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        Anti...

        Anti was going to Tsutsujidai. But he decided to take the long way around -- felt that it was better, for Tsutsujidai, if he did not walk the paths. But it is... difficult, to navigate shuttles off of Earth.

        In short, Anti got lost and ended up here.

        But maybe he was meant to be here, anyway. Because, up there...

        "... feels like Renais," Anti says the first words he's spoken all day.

        He glares, sharply, as Gridman rises from the depths. His hands tighten, at his sides, and he makes a decision -- and scrambles up into the nearest machine whose doors can swing open for him. (YOU DID THIS, SPIKE.)

        Unfortunately,

        Anti does not have the keys to the Swordfish II.

        Anti bangs on the console, and chews on the stick, and makes a most undignified discontent noise, and only barely manages to scramble into the back when he realises someone else is coming. Up they go--!!

        Anti -- a small child not much taller than four feet, with an eyepatch over one eye and fey white hair -- glares at Spike, when he turns around and asks. "Gridman is here. I have to crush him. And an enemy is here, too. I don't have to crush him, but you should worry about it. I can't become myself any more, so I need something to fight with."

        Beat.

        "The door opened for me." Anti explains, stoic, as if that makes everything okay.

        He tilts his head, as if hearing something.

        "You're using this machine," Anti concludes.

        "All right. I'll show you. Like this."

        With that, the middle-schooler in the back of Spike's plane opens the door and jumps out --

        -- and pulls a sword out in the middle of the fall --

        -- and actually nails the landing, with a dull THUD. He may have to dodge past the Swordfish to do so, but that's fine. Anti can, apparently, do that. He can also apparently rise up from a drop which would kill any normal boy, hand pressing to the concrete, as if completely fine.

        One hand to the pavement, of course. The other is holding a katana. Where was he keeping a katana? Who gave him a katana? (CALIBUR, YOU DID THIS.)

        "Ranka Lee," Anti calls, as he starts running. "Ranka Lee!"

KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th targets Eight York, Yuta Hibiki, GaoGaiGo Team, and Spike Spiegel with Disc M Cover Song.
KTS: Eight York's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: [Spirit Defense] Eight York's This Path Was Our Choice activates, and her spirit endures.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th enervates Eight York, reducing her Morale significantly.
KTS: Eight York fails to evade Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Cover Song, taking 4800 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Mic Sounders the 13th's Enervator activates, causing Deject!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 120.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki blocks Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Cover Song, taking 3000 damage!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 159.
KTS: Spike Spiegel successfully evades Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Cover Song
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 198.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th enervates GaoGaiGo Team, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team blocks Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Cover Song, taking 4950 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Mic Sounders the 13th's Enervator activates, causing Deject!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 237.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Ranka clings to the mooring, even as the shadow of a kneeling Zentradi appears over her, and relief floods her, "T-Thank you! Thank you so much!" It's a real concern here, being stepped on in the panic, if she just ran off at a random direction.

And then... a familiar voice. Wielding a katana!?

Ranka looks over at him speechless, even as he comes closer, and closer, finally managing to blurt off, "Anti!?"

'No more life allowed. It's nothing personal...!'

Ranka looks dumbly at the proceedings above, like she doesn't quite get what's happening, save that he's using music... to destroy everything. "I don't get it. Why would he..." Sonic Waves rippling through the air as he attacks the defenders of this place. And with one look sideways at Anti...

... and she remembers what she did for him that day.

Unlatching from the moorings, she pulls off the Daruma head from around her, discarding it off to the side, revealing that she's just wearing red shortalls beneath it, "Anti. Can you get me somewhere where I can sing safely?"

No longer caught in the panic of the moment, feeling safer with both Lavhi and him here, "Please?"

It's something she can do, maybe it's the only thing she can do.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

"Well, we tried." Yuta mumbles to himself.

Mic attacks! The waves of sound blast toward the Giant. Closing his arms over his chest and head, Gridman manages to block the worst of it. Once things are quiet again, he shifts back into the combat stance. Other heroes are joining Gridman on the battlefield, something that always bolsters his courage. With a shout, Gridman orders, "Max! Use your cannons!"

"Allow me, Gridman!"

Different voices emerge from Gridman, but more importantly -- the two cannons on his shoulders swivel and take aim at Mic. Despite his appearance, Max has a soft heart, and this enemy is... Very small. Knowing the brave robo isn't in control of his actions makes the large man pity him. But an enemy is an enemy, and he must be stopped.

"Tanker Cannon!" Max calls, as two missiles fire from the cannons.

It isn't his strongest attack -- maybe it'll be enough? This... personage doesn't appear to be made for combat. If they can knock some sense into him, maybe he'll be able to return to his friends.

---

Elsewhere, Calibur sneezes, turning his head away from his knitting. Huh.

KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Tanker Cannon!

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

It would be very entertaining!! It's good music! But no, it has to be sonic attacks. Instead, it is not that. So, while Eight is getting the VF ready to take off, Lavhi remains in front of Ran for the moment--right up until Anti arrives. Then he looks down to Ranka, and gives her a smile--small for him, very big for her. "There are many we must get to safety. Warrior," he says to Anti, "I put my faith in you." Then he nods to Ranka, and moves to rise, sprinting across the platform to help the fallen Zentradi who was with Ranka. "Come!" he says. "We must away! They will shield us!"

Eight finally takes off in the VF, and it's a little... bumpy. She barely gets the pinpoint barrier up in time to shield her unit as she can't at all dodge.

"Gh--" The orange. She feels the power of it. She knows this isn't just random.

"If you don't want to talk--"

"Gridman! This is York, backing you up!"

She rolls forward--and abrubtly changes the unit's configuration to Battroid!!

"Come on, focus on me!" she calls over the radio, "I won't let you use music this way!"

Then she moves in to attack!!
Eight York transforms to VF-171 Nightmare Plus <Battroid Mode>

<Pose Tracker> Spike Spiegel has posed.

"Is that--" Spike lifts his hand up, and then wheels himself away from Anti to look at the controls. He looks at a line of spit, running from his hand to the leftmost control stick of the Swordfish II, and then he looks back at Anti. "Did you bite my MONO Racer," he says, rather than asks. "And what do you mean the door opened for you."

Anti shows him.

Spike shouts with a sudden alarm as the kid kicks open the canoy and leaps out. "Kid! What the HELL are you--" And Anti leaps, flies, and goes airborne -- and slams into the ground... and doesn't turn into paste. "What in the hell!?"

He reaches a long, lanky arm up -- grabs the canopy -- and slams it shut. The Swordfish II banks, sharply, as a sonic wave makes the air ripple. There are two lines of vapor through the air, before the VTOL thrusters swivel down -- and bounce the fighter up over the Dic M shockwave.

"Kid," Spike transmits to the GaoGaiGo. "I'm not sure they're gonna listen. You might wanna accept that."

A Giant of Light and a VF, launching from nearby. Spike looks at them both for a second, before his eyes linger on the Zentradi shielding the girl. Then, he looks back at Mic Sounders. He cracks a smile.

"No offense," he says. "But I can't have a mall destroyed when I'm trying to capture a bounty. They'll probably blame it on me."

Down below, Jet Black's metal clad heels scrape across the concrete, sending out a spray of sparks. He looks left, then right -- and he spots where Anti hits the ground, then at Ranka Lee, then at Lahvi. He blinks his eyes once. Then, he starts running towards them. "HEY!" he shouts. "You three! Yeah, you too, big guy! Did you see a slouchy guy with a baseball cap run by?"

He grits his teeth. Then, the bounty hunter pauses. "You should probably get somewhere safe."

Up in the air, the Swordfish II does a sharp turn -- and his eyes are briefly on Gridman, as the cannons turn. The Swordfish II does a barrel roll, before the thrusters fire -- and it comes screaming in towards Mic. The two autocannons on its underside open up, pouring out a burst of machinegun fire as it comes closing in.

Spike leans forward, gripping both control sticks. His jaw sets; his left eye, slightly darker, gleams.

KTS: Spike Spiegel targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Machinegun Rundown!
KTS: Eight York has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Eight York targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Mauler Beam Cannons Sequential Fire!


<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

Mic refuses the call of friendship. Because of Swan and Stallion, which makes Mamoru sigh. And then, Holy Lonely Light plays, blasting outwards, rattling the already sorta sad Mamoru. "Ikumi! You have control!" He shouts even as he attempts to block the blow.

The entire torso of the machine flips upside down, allowing Ikumi to move into Active Mode and take up a brawler's stance. "Mic Sounders..." He says. "Let's make this a game, then. If we defeat you, you go home. If you defeat us, we'll go home. Deal?"

It's a tricky thing. It sounds entirely fair. Except Mic is out-numbered, and so, if they can wear him down enough, they'll force a retreat. Ikumi logically doesn't expect to be able to capture Mic if he's being supported by Stallion and Swan and they don't have Final Fusion, so the next best result is forcing Mic to *agree* to a conditional retreat. He'll keep his word.

Ikumi is polite enough to await a response. And then...

GaiGo rushes inwards, moving for a highly-accurate charging punch!

KTS: GaoGaiGo Team targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Rushing Punch!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki rattles Mic Sounders the 13th, making his next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Yuta Hibiki's Tanker Cannon, taking 5760 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Yuta Hibiki's Telepathic Link activates, causing Insight L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Yuta Hibiki's Mediumship activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th blocks GaoGaiGo Team's Rushing Punch, taking 2450 damage!
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has engaged Mic Sounders the 13th!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Spike Spiegel's Machinegun Rundown, taking 5520 damage!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Eight York's Mauler Beam Cannons Sequential Fire, taking 4500 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        Anti looks Spike dead in the eyes, and says: "I did." Those are his teeth marks! Now Spike has to deal with kaiju slobber!

        And Anti has NO SHAME, WHATSOEVER.

        Apparently, he has no sense of self-preservation, either, but he manages to survive anyway.

        There are many Zentradi here -- like this one, who shielded Ranka. (But it's Ranka Anti heard, up there.) He nods, to Lahvi, sharply. "All right."

        He looks to the -- check the ears -- human man approaching next, and Anti says, still stoic: "Everyone's running." Which is true. The street is quite panicked.

        Then, he turns to Ranka.

        "'No more life allowed'... it's what Oath Over Omega says," he explains, voice even and unhurried. "They fixed Renais. But not with people like this." He looks up, to the Swordfish II, and Gridman. "They can't win by fighting. Even if I could fight, I couldn't, either."

        He frowns, as he looks at Mic's performance. They can't fight him. But, he's...

        "..."

        Anti's lips part. He closes his mouth, and tries again. "All right," he decides, nodding to Ranka. "Come with me."

        Taking his sword in his hands, he remembers what his foe told him --

        -- and cuts straight through a giant teacup, as it falls towards him and Ranka, to clear her a path.

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

Mic feels a bit sad attacking a nice place like this, and especially fighting Mamoru. Mamoru is his friend! But he was warned this would be the case. He has to do the responsible thing and fulfill his duty, even if it bums him out. And the responsible thing is wiping everything out as swiftly and kindly as possible.

But first he has to survive fighting friends and Cool People and a Big Guy!

"WHOA! Whoa whoa whoa!" Mic zips and zooms about, but still manages to get pummeled by Max Gridman's Tanker Cannons, Eight's Battroid gunfire and Spike's autocannons. If he were in Cosmo Robo his eyes would be swirly icons already; instead, there's a little bit of static around him. He shakes his head.

"No! No, I have to do this! I-oh, Ikuni! A game!? Sure! I'll win the game, though!" He swerves his flying platform bottom-up so that its underside tanks the punch in his stead, as it's considerably sturdier than he is.

"Time to win!" With that, he spins around and dives at Spike, attempting to sideswipe the Swordfish with the edge of his huge guitar. Then he blasts down towards the Battroid VF and calls out, "WOOHOO!" as he sky-surfs right down at it, trying to collide with it from above.

Zipping back up, he turns to Gridman and puts his mouth on his harmonica attachment, playing a series of melodic notes that send out shockwaves towards the giant's direction. And finally, he veers to GaiGo, lifts his guitar, and tries to just bring it right down on the Dualkind. "Look at this trick Goldymarg taught me!"

KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th targets Spike Spiegel with Studio 7 Sideswipe!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th targets Eight York with Studio 7 Sky Surfing!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th targets Yuta Hibiki with Frequency Wave Melody!
KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel successfully evades Mic Sounders the 13th's Studio 7 Sideswipe
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 192.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th targets GaoGaiGo Team with EL KABONG IS HERE!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki charges into the attack!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th enervates Yuta Hibiki, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th rattles Yuta Hibiki, making his next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki partially guards Mic Sounders the 13th's Frequency Wave Melody, taking 3840 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Mic Sounders the 13th's Enervator activates, causing Deject!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 201.
KTS: Eight York's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th enervates Eight York, reducing her Morale significantly.
KTS: Eight York fails to parry Mic Sounders the 13th's Studio 7 Sky Surfing, taking 4320 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Mic Sounders the 13th's Enervator activates, causing Deject!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has engaged Eight York!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 240.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team rushes into the attack!
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team partially guards Mic Sounders the 13th's EL KABONG IS HERE, taking 3150 damage!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has engaged GaoGaiGo Team!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 279.


<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Ranka tells Lavhi, "I know I'll be okay with him. Thank you. Please help everyone else!"

Jet Black calls at her about a slouchy guy in a baseball cap? And Ranka looks up, and - "Uhhhh? No?" Before Anti explains... "What? I don't - how can they want to end all life? That's horrible!"

He has to do this!? She doesn't really get it, how one can't win by fighting, why he feels he has to do this, what that means but... Anti tells her to come with him, "Right!" He slashes through a teacup, "... Even when you're small, you're really good at this."

She says with a sense of wonder, as she tears after him. Suddenly shes thankful for all that dance practice building up her stamina.

Meanwhile, she reaches to her shoulder, to her orange Osanshoo-san, and brings it into her hands - as the squishy salamander phone suddenly extends into a microphone.

"I've worked around here a lot, so I have the - speaker wifi password for promotions." She explains to Anti. Squishing the edge of her micro-phone, she starts the process of connecting, "So just gotta get to a good spot!"

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

Mic agrees to the game. Good, a security. And also...

Ikumi's starting to feel competitive again.

But the guitar comes down. Ikumi pushes forward, trying to force the guitar backwards, even as GaiGo takes heavy damage. They're sparking bad.

The Synapse Claw rises from the back of the machine. "Mamoru, napalm! Focus on the guitar!" Ikumi shouts out. Mamoru winces.

"But that's Mic's favorite guitar..."

"He can get it repaired later!"

Mamoru sighs, and then nods. Programming the chemical formula for napalm from memory, the Synapse Claw suddenly blasts it to do focused damage on the guitar at a close enough distance to avoid it spraying everywhere, trying to melt its Boom Robo-connected systems! If some napalm also gets on Mic, it'll very much hurt!

KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Synapse Burn!


<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

"Captain York!" Gridman calls in response. "We're grateful for your assistance."

Gridman grimly watches as his missles soundly hit Mic Sounders. "Poor soul." Max says, voice softer than usual. "Forced to fight his own comrades. This pity is quickly washed away as the brave robo attacks. Gridman tries to race beneath the sound wave, but is hit straight-on. Something about this sound is... awful! Yuta wants to cover his ears, he kinda wants to throw up -- but Gridman has neither of those functions. "Ngh... What is that?"

Stumbling, Gridman raises his head again just to see Eight's mobile suit take heavy damage. "Captain York!" Yuta cries, "We're on the way!"

Shaking his head to recover, Gridman makes his way to Eight's side. "Are you alright?" The Giant of Light looks over to her, worry clear in his voice. "We'll do what we can to take this thing out. The mall can't take much more!"

"Max! Time to get serious!" Gridman says, leaping into the air.

Max answers the call, electricity gathering around the Giant. "I am prepared!"

Together, they shout, "Max... Grid... Beam!"

Despite most of the armor focusing on Gridman's shoulders, the beam is significantly powerful. And there's no kaiju to clean up the destruction here... Yuta feels a little guilty.

KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Max Spark Beam!

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

"I did not see this gentleman," Lavhi answers Jet solemnly. "We should all get somewhere safe. I believe in their ability to repel this threat, provided that we do not make their job harder."

He peers over at Spike. Hmm.

But from there, Lavhi focuses on getting people to safety; first, helping up the fallen Zentradi, then moving towards another set of patrons trying to run away, moving to shield them. He has no weapons on him, no way to help beyond getting others out of the space of danger... and Eight hates that he's at risk out there.

Eight's Battroid, meanwhile, takes a Mic Sounders to the face. While she's pretty resilient, she's in a unit she's never flown that barely seems to work--this puts her on the back foot. Only the Pinpoint Barrier helps to avoid her whole system breaking down on the spot. But it's good enough, for now. A 'game'...

"Thanks, Gridman!" Eight calls back. "But I'm not out yet!"

She uses the cannons, firing as she jumps her unit to the side to try to help nudge Mic int othe Grid Beam!!!

"Sorry," she says, "I know you're somebody's friend, but so are all these people!"

KTS: Eight York has activated the Rouse Spirit Command.
KTS: Eight York targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Erikon Beam Cannons Trick Shot!


<Pose Tracker> Spike Spiegel has posed.

"Yeah, guy with a baseball bat, though. Slouched over, wearing a grey sweatshirt. Ketchup stain on the front," Jet says to Anti. He points at his blue vest, where the ketchp stain would have been. It is not there on his clothing; Jet is not a slob.

Then, Ranka explains more.

Jet's eyes blink once. "Is." A beat. "Is there a bounty on them?"

One of his cybernetic fingers scratches at his bearded chin. He watches as Anti slices a teacup in half; then he looks at Lahvi. "Ugh," he groans. "This got complic--"

He sees a slouching man with a baseball cap run by.

Jet sighs. He looks between the fleeing guy in the baseball cap, and then where Ranka and Anti vanished. He hesitates for a moment. Then, he runs between the fallen halves of the teacupp.

Spike sees a guitar coming in for him.

He yanks on the control sticks; the VTOL thrusters on the Swordfish II swivel down, thrusters firing, and the edge of Mic's guitar slashes through the trails of light left in the wake of those thrusters, as it gets lifted up over it. "I think you should practice a different trick," he tells Mic. "Why are you doing this, exactly?"

Maybe giant robots that talk often attack malls. Maybe Spike shouldn't judge.

(Spike should not judge.)

The Swordfish II does a sharp banking turn -- it shoots under one level of the Folmo Mall, then around the parking garage it emerged from -- before it comes screeching back around. Spike flips up a small box on the control stick on his right side. His thumb lingers for a moment, as he lines the shot up. Crosshairs flicker across the screen.

"Gotcha!"

His thumb presses down; three hardpoints on the Swordfish II's left wing flash, vapor trails exploding out from the back of the missiles. All three missiles snake through the air, before they come crashing down for Mic's flying platform.

KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Missile Boogie!

<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        "I don't think they have a choice." Anti explains, on how they can want such a horrible thing.

        Give him credit: he doesn't react with surprise, when Ranka says he's good at fighting even though he can't become himself. He doesn't do that, because he's focused on clearing a path. "... this has more reach," he remarks, looking down at the katana.

        "Speakers..." He echoes, pausing to look back to Ranka. He uses his katana to leverage free a stairwell, where a display fell over it. "Up here?" He asks, and remembers to give the question a rising tone.

        "It's enclosed." He remarks, of the stairwell, and looks behind Ranka, to Jet, who followed them through the teacup ride. "Follow behind her. In case something comes up after us."

        He just assumes Jet is a warrior. Talk about judging a book by its cover!

KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th blocks GaoGaiGo Team's Synapse Burn, taking 5487 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] GaoGaiGo Team's Roar! activates, causing Insight L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] GaoGaiGo Team's Shout! activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has engaged Mic Sounders the 13th!
rush not permitted in RangeUnengaged

KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th rushes into the attack!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th partially guards Yuta Hibiki's Max Spark Beam, taking 2750 damage!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has engaged Mic Sounders the 13th!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to evade Eight York's Erikon Beam Cannons Trick Shot, taking 3200 damage!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to evade Spike Spiegel's Missile Boogie, taking 6240 damage!


<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

A guy in a baseball cap runs by, "Oh! I just saw your friend run that way!" Ranka tells Jet, guilelessly, despite the context of him asking about a bounty on Mic. "No... choice?" Ranka blinks her big red eyes, as she realizes how horrible the situation is, before on his Katana, "I see! That makes sense." Even as he leverages up a display to reveal a stairwell. And...

"Anti you're incredible! That's exactly what I needed!"

... Ranka leans forward and briefly hugs him, before she rushes up the stairs. Once they arrive to the enclosure above, she says into the Mic, "Testing 1 - 2." And hears the echo. Taking a deep breath, she hits the track on her phone, to begin the instrumentals of a certain pop song. She figures even if this thing wants to end the world...

... he'll still be a Sheryl Nome fan. Ranka tells Jet, "Alright. Here I go!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wogg3h9e7d4
�

        "Baby, how do you want to drive?
        "I've got the handle and I'm waiting on standby
        "You want my heart and want my love?
        "No!? Oh, let's just swing and kiss! (kiss! kiss!)"

The echo of kiss is met with her spreading her arms out wide, as if to receive an embrace. And then the guitar solo starts, as Ranka starts to kick it into high gear, trying to just outright overwhelm Mic's song with the sheer strength of her vocal talent.

        "This half-hearted style's a no-go
        "If you got love that soars, then that's for me
        "Beautiful! Excuse me! but if you want (lalala~)
        "There are such possibilities!"

Shuffling across in an energetic dance step, with a swing of her hips, she beckons as if trying to reach out to Mic. Before she stops and wags her finger as if gesticulating a point.

        "Point: I don't care!
        "Dollars, they're so fake!
        "Point: it's one or the other.
        "But one is what we'll make!"

Dancing backwards, her voice floods the entirety of the mall. A subtle wavelike distortion undetectable to most instruments seeming to just - carry it even further, sweeping her arm up to wave to their defenders above...

        "What 'bout my starrrrr? What 'bout my starrrrr?
        "What 'bout my star? What 'bout my starrrr?
        "What 'bout my star? What 'bout my star?
        "Star~aaaahhh~Huuuu~!"

KTS: Ranka Lee targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Designate!
KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Spike Spiegel
KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting GaoGaiGo Team
KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Yuta Hibiki
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has activated the Enable Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

"WAAH! Hot hot scary hot!" This time when Mic swings upwards on his Stage to deflect the worst of the napalm, it sticks and sizzles; some of it gets on his guitar anyway, and a bit on his hands. "Ow ow ow! Ikumi, that's dangerous!" he warns the former ally he is currently trying to kill.

He barely has time to react to that before Gridman shoots a powerful beam at him. He ducks under and dashes forward over and under the beam, but he can't quite evade all of it as Eight bumps him right into it. As long as the GS-Ride is functional he can still fly, but it's starting to look at bit wobbly, as is he. Wobbly and dizzy. "That's okay!" he answers Eight in a daze. And that, in turn, gives Spike his open shot to fire missiles right at Mic, which leave him rather battered.

"Mm, I want to leave, but if I do I'll lose the game. Can't lose! Can't disappoint!"

And then...

Ranka's perfect rendition of What 'Bout My Star starts playing. Mic's lights immediately light up, tinged orange as everything else around him is. "Wha...whoa! YEAH! I love this song! Great vocals! Great voice! Great beat!" At the 'kiss' he even seems to blush, as mechanically unlikely as that is. "But you're not Sheryl Nome! Who are you?" Who is this MYSTERY SINGER?

'Mic,' Swan reminds him, 'don't be distracted!'

"D-don't be distracted! Right!" He actually wants to retreat, because he is achy and tired and running out of energy, but now he's competing with a fellow SINGER! So he readies his "GLITTERING DOUBLE V," as he announces, and begins belting out a song that...really doesn't go along very well with Ranka's. So it's something of an impromptu Battle of the Bands. And Mic is up with Power of Desire! With the damaging waves of Disc M behind them.

"DESIIIRE...!"

KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th targets Spike Spiegel, GaoGaiGo Team, Eight York, and Yuta Hibiki with Disc M Power of
Desire.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki rushes into the attack!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th enervates Yuta Hibiki, reducing his Morale significantly.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki partially guards Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Power of Desire, taking 6405 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Mic Sounders the 13th's Enervator activates, causing Deject!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 191.
KTS: Eight York's EN Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Eight York fails to evade Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Power of Desire, taking 4590 damage!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 230.
KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Focus Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel successfully evades Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Power of Desire
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 269.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team's EN Barrier activates, negating 500 base damage.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team blocks Mic Sounders the 13th's Disc M Power of Desire, taking 3919 damage!
KTS: EN Regen activates. Your new EN value is 308.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team has activated the Trick Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

"I'm starting to feel bad for this guy..." Yuta says, a little distressed.

"You are not alone in that." Max adds, though Gridman still slides back into a combat pose.

Still unsteady on his feet, Gridman sees the next attack coming. His weight is balanced onto his back foot, and Gridman tries to flip into the air -- but stumbles, coming crashing down. Mic's attack washes over him, and Yuta cries out. That horrible sound feels like its tearing him apart!

"Yuta, pull yourself together! We have to finish this!" Gridman manages, effort clear in his voice. "He can't take much more, and neither can we. One last rally. Come on!"

For a moment, the Giant doesn't move. Yuta is dazed. In desperation, Gridman pushes Yuta's conciousness down, taking full control of himself. Gridman stands, charging at the damaged brave robo. Grabbing the much smaller robot, he tries to pin it in place. Napalm scorches Gridman's hands, eating through the armor. There's a hiss of breath -- even Gridman himself isn't immune to pain.

"Everyone! Take it out! This is all I can do for now!"

KTS: Yuta Hibiki has activated the Detonate Spirit Command, reducing the Gridman Primal Fighter to 1 HP!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Yuta Hibiki targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Max Charge!

<Pose Tracker> GaoGaiGo Team has posed.

The napalm fails to melt the guitar, but it damages Mic enough for a distraction. Ikumi turns on the barrier, pushed back by the Disc M waves and Desire, as the song echoes through. Someone's inspiring hope...

Without speaking through the speaker or towards Mamoru, Ikumi speaks. "Half-hearted style...a no-go? Am I being half-hearted? Koji...Mamoru...even Alouette...they were all right. I need..."

"To fight. To be a brave. To be..."

Ikumi suddenly pushes forward, arm pulling back of the machine. "Sorry, Mic. But I'm going to win this one! You can win once you rejoin us! Until then...I'm going to be *selfish*!"

The Kakuseijin GaiGo's fists pummel out, over and over, trying to launch Mic into the air and away, directly into everyone else's attacks. "Swan, Stallion! Probably a good time to recover him, if you don't want to lose *our* game!"

Mamoru gives off a weary smile. They won't recover Mic...but they recovered Ikumi's spirit.

KTS: GaoGaiGo Team targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Knockback Assault!

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

Lavhi 'hms' at the matter of the man. But it's fine. He is busy! He is busy, until...

Music! Lavhi takes a number of people who were on the ground fallen and picks them up gently, setting them on the second level where they can more easily move towards the exit. "Here," he says, "I will aid you..." He sweeps away a little rubble that would otherwise have been in their path, next.

Kiss! kiss!

The macronized Zentradi smiles, despite the danger, at the sound of the music. "Eight," he murmurs, though it is loud enough that some probably hear him, "Return to me safely..."

He turns, and looks towards Mic Sounders, having gotten out everyone he can. There's little else he can do but watch, now.

Eight, though, is still fighting! 'That's okay!' he says, and--Well, that's not the response Eight expected, honestly.

"If you like the song so much..." 'Distracted!' The powerful song is something she simply can't evade; it hits again, and almost shakes the VF apart entirely. But the barrier still holds, and Eight is able to steer her Battroid back around.

"All right, these missiles are pretty old, but they should do the trick. Getting a lock..."

Gridman takes full control, and grabs the robot in place. "Gridman!" Eight calls in alarm, but--she'll use the opportunity he gave them. "If you die I won't forgive you," she tells him, and fires the missiles!!

Eight feels something, she thinks--doubt, maybe, from someone. She is sure there is a difficulty... and yet-

He does it. That doubt fades. And Eight nods. "Let's go!"

KTS: Eight York has activated the Foresee Spirit Command.
KTS: Eight York targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Micro-Missile Array Lock!

<Pose Tracker> Spike Spiegel has posed.

Jet looks at Ranka and Anti both, for a moment. Then, Anti tells him to follow after Ranka, if something comes up after them -- and he nods after only a moment's hesitation. Then, he draws out his sidearm: a chrome semiautomatic. He grips it with his cybernetic hand; it will be more than enough for the recoil. "Got it," Jet says. "You think more of them are here?"

He takes a position up there, before he looks at Ranka. He blinks, but then he nods. "Do it," he says. "Whatever it is."

It's a song. Jet blinks his eyes; it's one he heard in a couple of bars, though he tuned it out. (Jet Black only recognizes Sheryl Nome's name. He couldn't name her songs.) Still, even if it's not his music of choice, he has to admit that it sounds impressive. After a moment, Jet nods once.

"Looks like we're putting on a concert," Spike says, with glance at the enclosure -- and with the singing girl there. He looks away from her, then, and he rolls his head to the side, and pops his neck. The Swordfish II sweeps in a tight arc, blazing across the front of Ranka's impromptu stage. A pair of arcing vapor trails are left, before its course takes it back towards Mic.

His eyebrows furrow. "Damn, you're not gonna let up, huh?" Spike says, hitting the Swordfish II's afterburners. It rockets forward -- thrusters turning to the side -- and they fire, letting it shoot hard to the side and just scrape past the shockwave. It rattles the MONO Racer, Spike's teeth rattling as they grit together, before the thrusters spin in their holdings, and do a 180-degree turn, and fire again.

He looks at Gridman, his eyes narrowing for a second, as he sees the Giant grab for Mic. "...You better know what you're risking your life for," he says. "You only get the one."

The Swordfish II goes screaming in. Two missiles fire ahead of it, both streaking in towards Mic. Spike's eyes track them, the left one with just a slightly faster and jerkier motion than the right. The MONO Racer soars in, over Gridman's shoulder, and the autocannons open up -- firing a line of shots across Mic and his flying stage. Then, it begins to bank away, in an arc.

And the plasma cannon turns, on its underside turret. There is a crackle of lightning across the barrel. Spike takes aim, his left eye narrowing.

"Sorry, pal," he says. "Bad luck to be here, huh?"

He fires. The Swordfish II jerks backward, before the VTOL thruster swivels and fires to slow its recoil -- and then a massive lance of blue-white plasma explodes through the air, hurtling towards the Brave Robo.

KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Spike Spiegel targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Acrobat Circus!


<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        Anti nods, sharply, to Ranka. "Good." He's -- a little more taken aback by the hug, blinking at her, but he doesn't shy away. He just makes sure to keep his katana to one side, so he doesn't cut her.

        And Anti's intuition, as it happens, was entirely correct -- Jet has a gun. "I don't know," he answers, honestly. "But Oath Over Omega has claimed more people than this. We should be careful."

        Being selfish... Anti hears the voice, broadcast from GaoGaiGo. He hears Ikumi's declaration, and he wonders.

        And he hears the VF broadcast that if Gridman dies, she won't forgive him, and he remembers this, too.

        He takes up position beside Ranka, keeping an eye on the threats which might come their way -- ready to carve them in half, if they come. She's doing her best to sing... and she's really very good at it, he thinks.

        "If you can't lose," he says, quietly, looking up at Mic and his platform, "they'll beat you." He doesn't expect the apocalyptic performer to hear him; he says it, anyway. As if he could reach him, anyway.

        His free hand tightens, at his side.

        "You're not the first."

        The first one to be defeated by Gridman, that is.

KTS: Ranka Lee designates Mic Sounders the 13th, making him easier to target and opening him to indirect fire.
KTS: Ranka Lee designates Mic Sounders the 13th, making him easier to target and opening him to indirect fire.
KTS: Your unit's HP stands at 5193
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Yuta Hibiki's Max Charge, taking 6960 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Yuta Hibiki's Telepathic Link activates, causing Insight L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Yuta Hibiki's Mediumship activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has been defeated!
KTS: Yuta Hibiki has engaged Mic Sounders the 13th!
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to GaoGaiGo Team's Knockback Assault, taking 5400 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] GaoGaiGo Team's Roar! activates, causing Insight L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] GaoGaiGo Team's Shout! activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Your unit's HP stands at -7167
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has been defeated!
KTS: You're out of the fight. Consider using +eject to leave the battlefield.
KTS: GaoGaiGo Team repulses Mic Sounders the 13th, forcing him to disengage.
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th fails to react to Spike Spiegel's Acrobat Circus, taking 7040 damage!
KTS: Your unit's HP stands at -14207
KTS: Mic Sounders the 13th has been defeated!
KTS: You're out of the fight. Consider using +eject to leave the battlefield.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

Even Mic seems like a fan, which causes Ranka's hair to lift up despite itself, as she winks his direction. If she's distracting him he can't destroy everything right? Even as she gives Jet this cant of her head and a smile at him saying they're putting on a concert - it's what she can do.

        "Let me know what you want; I'll give it to you!
        "How fantastic it is to be with you, my love!"

        "Darlin, I'm telling you, come closer
        "No you, no life: that's the rule of my heart
        "I need your heart and need your love
        "Yes, I'm happy to start!"

Performing her bubbly little dance in place, a hop on her toes, her heels shifting from side to side. She claps her hands together over the mic..

        "I don't care how this love gets unfurled!
        "You get no second chances, so let's make it exciting
        "You're wonderful and charming
        "And I wanna get you! (lalala~)
        "We'll sing around the world"

A spin, as she continues her now more polished dance routine, swiveling at her hips as she counts down with three fingers.

        "3. Hey, I'll count down
        "2. Are you ready?
        "1. Oh, I can't wait no more
        "0. Let love ring freely!"

As if trying to guide the flow of energy against Mic's belted out song, his Double V Desire, she keeps up the clapping, before raising back up the Mic, and rapidly dancing backwards. If they can just hold out long enough, he seems real distractible, enough that everyone can seal the deal.

        "What 'bout my starrrrr? What 'bout my starrrrr?
        "What 'bout my star? What 'bout my starrrr?
        "What 'bout my star? What 'bout my star?
        "Star~aaaahhh~Huuuu~!"

She's not quite at the Outro yet, it's like she's trying to prolong it just enough... as she doesn't want him to catch her not singing at a bad time, while the sky bursts apart in the light of battle.

KTS: Ranka Lee targets Mic Sounders the 13th with Shock!
KTS: Ranka Lee has activated the Rouse Spirit Command targeting Yuta Hibiki

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

Mic can't help it! He loves Ranka's song too much! And it puts him off his guard as he lowers his guitar, and...

While Gaogaigo happens to hit Mic just a little out of range of Eight's attack, it does leave him in the grip of Gridman, who pins him down as Mic yelps in surprise. That gives Spike the opportunity to fire a lance of plasma; as Mic hastily holds up his guitar to deflect, it practically melts the guitar.

Which glows an eerie, awful orange and immediately starts reforming itself, inch by inch, strand by strand. Mic, too, has started to reform, but...

"That's enough." Swan's voice comes through Mic's speakers. "You've won the game this time. Next time, he won't be alone."

With that, a light opens up around Mic as he's swallowed by it and vanishes entirely.

"It would be cruel to ask him to keep fighting when he's in that shape," Swan sighs as she goes to check in on the mech, once again safe aboard the J-Ark. "We really have to do something with how easily distracted he is, though. Can't have the poor dear lose his resolve...!"

<Pose Tracker> Yuta Hibiki has posed.

Gridman lurches forward as Mic vanishes. Falling to his hands and knees, the blue gemstone in the Giant's forehead flashing urgently. "Thank you -- everyone."

Yuta, drifting back to awareness, watches Gridman's body fading into light. It feels like everything is moving so slowly... And someone's singing? It sounds really nice. He smiles. It feels like the music of that girl is lifting him up, even as he fades away.

Thankfully, Yuta and Max are both transferred through Junk back to the Ra Mari, safe and sound. Gridman's face has returned to Junk's screen, and Calibur has made some good progress on his scarf. All seems to be well. Yuta feels a little less exhausted than usual after a hard battle, the phantom pain hitting him a little less urgently.

"Do any of you know who that singer was? Her voice was amazing!" Yuta asks, walking back to the window of the ship. "I think she saved us..."

"I do not, Yuta. Calibur, would you?"

Max asks, glancing to his comrade.

A sigh. "A--alright. Be right back."

After handing his knitting to Yuta, the samurai vanishes in a blur of movement. In only a few minutes, Ranka and Anti are faced with the appearance of a lanky, scruffy-looking man in a suit. Three swords hang at his back.

"H--hello. Anti. I--I hope you've been practicing." Calibur says, his expression unchanging as he's presented with his student. Turning to Ranka, he asks, "Miss, what is your name?"

Back aboard the Ra Mari, Yuta leans against the window. The mall is destroyed, but not entirely. Their presence undoubtedly saved lives today. It's a good feeling.

<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        Anti nods, once, to Calibur. "The katana has more range than a saw. It was useful." It's something like thanks, anyway.

        "He's not my ally," Anti explains, on Calibur, stoic, "but he isn't a threat unless you attack Gridman." He pauses, for a moment, evaluative, before he looks to Ranka. "... I don't think you're in danger if you tell him."

        Anti is quiet, for another moment.

        "If you hadn't sung, they might not have been able to push him back. You did good work." He doesn't say Ranka's name, in the telling. He's aware she might not want it said. He is thinking of her feelings.

        He orients on Jet, and nods, once. "You were looking for someone, but you helped her instead. I'll remember." And despite being quite firmly a middle schooler, he's very stoic.

<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.

Eight, as it turns out, does return safely. She doesn't hit with her missile lock, but even as Mic starts to reform, the 'game' ends, and Eight sighs in relief. She moves back to the stand, and glances around with the sensors to note... it's pretty much smashed.

She turns the unit back into a fighter and opens the cockpit.

"Great music!" she calls up to Ranka, and then throws her shoes out of the fighter before climbing out after them. "That was..." She says, "Well, it was pretty disheartening, music aside," she says.

But Lavhi brightens, and walks right past Anti and everyone to kneel down next to Eight again. "You are safe!" he enthuses. "In a fighter you had nevr used..."

Eight beams up at him. "...So I guess the walk's out, but maybe we can get you turned back my size and pick up where we left off?"

"Yes," Lavhi answers, and there are practically heartbubbles between them. But Lavhi turns to say, "You did very well, as well," to those on foot. "If I see your gentleman I will tell him you were looking for him." Lavhi rises, and starts to move off towards a micronization chamber.

<Pose Tracker> Spike Spiegel has posed.

"Oath Over Omega," Jet says, looking at Anti. "That's what makes someone decide to destroy everything?"

His cybernetic hand tightens a little around the pistol -- but automated systems activate inside of it, automatically adjusting it before he risks any damage to the gun. "This world letting me down never fails to let me down," he says with a sigh.

Then, he startles -- when Calibur appears in front of him. Both of his eyes widen, but he doesn't raise the gun when he addresses Anti in a way that seems... almost friendly. "You with them?" he asks Calibur.

In the skies, the Swordfish II arcs around Mic, as a woman speaks through his speaks. "So... you're with him," Spike says. "I should have known, huh? There's usually an accomplice."

The Swordfish II banks around -- and then its thruster swivels down, to make it lower down near the platform. Spike looks through canopy for a moment -- his eyebrow twitches as he gets a good look at Anti -- and then the canopy opens. He looks over Calibur, Ranka, and Anti. He considers for a moment, before he pulls out a pack of cigarettes.

"Yo," he says. Then, because Spike Spiegel is a vile reprobate, he offers chldren: "Anyone need a smoke?"

<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        "Yes. It's brain damage." Anti's response to Jet leaves a lot of details out, but -- maybe he's not entirely wrong. And when Jet enquires about Calibur, Anti says: "He isn't hostile now." Which is... kind of like vouching for him? He nods to Lahvi, too, when he offers whch is clearly help. "You protected her. I'll remember."

        And lo, Anti looks to Spike when he lands, still entirely unrepentant, and...

        "What's a smoke," he says, since he can tell through context that it isn't being set on fire.

        ENTIRELY deadpan.

<Pose Tracker> Ranka Lee has posed.

It's only once he's clear that he's going to retreat, that she stops stalling.
        "Let's go on a romantic date!!
        "Give me a miraculous kiss
        "Now on our emotional date."

And then all of a sudden, Ranka stops the motion, the instrumentals stop, and it's just her again at the center of the stage, both hands clutching her mic - gaze downcast as if enthralled in the outro.

        "Let me know what you want; I'll give it to you!
        "How fantastic it is to be with you... my love!"

Her red-eyed gaze finally lifts on 'my love!' skywards as she echoes, resonating outwards... before she falls silent.

In the aftermath, she wipes her brow, and... "Wow. Can't believe I... during." Usually it took Sheryl with her to be brave enough. However this is the second time there. And then there's a man with Swords!?! A lot of them.

Ranka's hair jumps up as she startles - then she traces a line to Anti's sword. Then back to him. "Oh he's not your- but? Sword?" Ranka flusters, before bowing to Calibur, "I'm Ranka Lee! It's nice to meet you!" Before straightening up, "Uh, what's your name?" Then asides to Anti, "I wouldn't want to attack Gridman! He saved us!"

Waving upwards at Eight in the open cockpit, and some part of her droops, "Yeah, I wish there was some way to make him stop..."

Then Spike walks up to them and offers them- "Oh..." A finger twitches out, as she decides whether she has the courage and then...

... she tells him in a subdued voice, like she's embarrassed, "... you can't actually smoke here. The entire mall is no smoking."


"W--we're allies." Calibur says to Anti, entirely unconcerned by the rest of what the little guy says. "I--I'm pleased to see your dedication."

"My name is Samurai Calibur. I--I serve Gridman. Yuta wished to pass on his gratitude. T--thank you for your song." Calibur inclines his head toward Ranka. A slip of paper is offered to her. "H--here is Yuta's phone number. He will wish to thank you himself. Y--you were instrumental in Gridman's success."

With an unflinching glance toward Spike, the samurai seems to consider his offer. "Y--yeah. I'll try one." Samurai in TV shows are always smoking, and look really cool doing it. Surely this will go the same way.

<Pose Tracker> Spike Spiegel has posed.

Spike lights his cigarette. He looks down at the Swordfish II -- which floats about two to three feet away from the edge of the mall -- and then up at Ranka. The lanky, green-haired man cracks a smile at her comment. "Good thing I'm not at the mall, then," he says, before he takes a drag from his cigarette.

"Spike," Jet says.

"Cigarette," Spike says to Anti, though he gives him a look for a moment. He takes another drag. Then, with a thumb, he flicks a spare cigarette to Calibur. It's easy enough to catch.

Spike leans out, extending his lighter to Calibur. His eyes track towards his partner in bounty hunting, though. "Did you find the guy, Jet?"

"...No," Jet says.

"Damn."

"Yeah."

Easy come, easy go...

<Pose Tracker> Anti has posed.

        "Oh," Anti says, when Ranka gathers the bravery to speak up. He looks back to Spike. "Then, no. It's not allowed in this house."

        Anti takes house rules very seriously!

        Never mind that this isn't someone's home.

        He frowns, to Calibur. "We're not allies. We just weren't fighting today." Though, with a glance to Ranka, he at least explains: "... Samurai Calibur gave me the sword."

        Anti scowls deeper, when Calibur talks to Ranka. "I wasn't helping Gridman," he insists, and his anger is quiet and intense. "But Ranka Lee called out. I heard her. She needed help. That's all."

        He looks between Spike and Jet, then, and offers sage advice:

        "Search until you find him."

        Very good logic from a very direct boy.