Difference between revisions of "2023-07-27: Rescue Ops, Mazinger-Style"
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Latest revision as of 01:38, 2 October 2023
- Log: Rescue Ops, Mazinger-Style
- Cast: Gridman, Tetsuya Tsurugi, Koji Kabuto, Sayaka Yumi, LiSA, Naoko Suzuki
- Where: Philippine Sea / Hong Kong / Vladivostok
- OOC - IC Date: 0097-07-27
- Summary: The Photon Power League (and friends) assembles a rescue party to come to the aid of the abducted Liam. The journey is long and obstacles myriad, but in the end...
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has deployed for Flashpoint in NS-1 Sukeban. FPT: Koji Kabuto has deployed for Flashpoint in Mazinger Z <Jet Scrander>. FPT: Sayaka Yumi has deployed for Flashpoint in Aphrodite Areia. FPT: Gridman has deployed for Flashpoint in Full Powered Gridman. FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi has deployed for Flashpoint in Great Mazinger. FPT: LiSA has deployed for Flashpoint in MPMZ-17 Ichinana.
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: SGT | | TERRAIN: Air | | ATTRIBUTES: Coordinate and Resolve | | BONUS STATS: HP and TAR | +-----------------------< TITLE: Picking Up The Trail >------------------------+ - It's been hours, at least, since the raid on the ferry, and the trail has - - started to grow cold. - - - - The waters of the Philippine Sea are well-traveled, meaning that whatever - - traces the strange drone craft left behind will be obscured by military - - and civilian traffic. Locating them means a thorough aerial sweep of the - - area, gathering sensor data while being as unobtrusive as possible. It - - also means sifting through that data, and ruling out false leads. It's a - - long, grueling process, but the right equipment and training can make it - - easier, and less tedious. - - - - So can the right connections. Those with open, Awakened hearts--and ties to - - Liam--can search for his presence in the psychic sea. It's so very faint, - - meaning he must be miles and miles away, but it's there. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"We don't have time to be discrete!" Borr insists, gesturing to the sea. "Every hour we waste is an hour they're torturing Liam! Vit, get out there!"
Sky Vitter at least has the courtesy to look chagrined. "Look, I want to, but this place is busy. If they see me flying overhead, someone is going to make a fuss. If we have another option, we should try that first."
Gridman, wrapped in a fashionable coat, looks out over the water. He can't help but think of Akane, Rikka, Alouette, and Leina. Their experience was harrowing. Is Liam in for the same thing? "I wish I could sense hearts like Knight or Gai. I'm useless like this."
Calibur steps forward. "W--we can only do what we can."
"Perhaps there is another way. We are, I believe, bereft of Newtypes, but not those bonded to Liam's heart. Miss LiSA," Max looks her way, inclining his head politely. "My name is Battle Tracto Max. I believe you have many unusual abilities, correct? Do you think we could determine Liam's location using your skillset?"
Looking a little dubious, Vit sighs. "Okay. I'm all for magic and miracles, don't get me wrong. I'm gonna head out and do some scans while you guys work on that though. I'll stay above the clouds as much as possible."
"About damn time." Borr grumbles. They seem to be extra on-edge today.
Junk has been dragged to this location and plugged in, and it only takes a moment for Sky Vitter to assume his other form and take off. He ascends above the clouds, though his voice can still be heard through Junk's screen.
"If I get shot down, you owe me, Borr."
FPT: Gridman has acted with Sight and Targeting.
<Pose Tracker> Tetsuya Tsurugi has posed.
Tetsuya Tsurugi is the opposite of an awakened heart.
Not, like, that he's unawakened, or anything like that. The number on his sheet is certainly not zero! But it's... not great. It's not-- great.
What he is, however, is in possession of a machine capable of pulling frankly absurd operational hours-- and in possession of a personality and physique capable of matching them.
What he is also is--
Is pissed.
Great Mazinger arrives as a bolt out of the blue. Its vast silver wings-- the Great Booster-- detatches and sails back towards the distant Fortress of Science. A moment later, the sonic boom hits, sending a deafening ripple racing across the crystal blue waters. "Liam," Tetsuya intones, his voice as pale and dark as the grave. Great's sensors scan the surrounding seas, looking for something-- anything-- that might suggest a direction to go next. "First Leina, then you... It's like they're trying to give me a reason to come after them."
"Unfortunately for them," he snarls, "This time it's worked."
FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi has acted with Sight and Hit Points.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"MAZIIIIN GO! PILDER: ON!"
Mazinger Z rises from the Photon Power Lab's pool once more, leaping clear and sprinting down the long road leading to the old facility. With a flare of sole-mounted thrusters it leaps into the air and with a roar of "SCRANDER CROSS!" the crimson Jet Scrander snaps into place around its abdomen, Photon Reactors in the two machines uniting.
The signal trail left by Neo Getter Robo pings faintly in the Pilder cockpit. Koji connects the group. "Okay, everyone. We don't have much time, we've got to be on-point. Lisa... be careful." They can't let the facility that tortured Liam get their hands on her - the very thought makes Koji's heart ache and his palms itch, for reasons he can't explain.
"Gridman! Form up on my portside wing. I'm synchronising our signal data and transmitting it to you." He doesn't know how the Giant of Tsutsujidai will receive that data, but that's for Gridman and his team to be concerned about.
"Tetsuya." Again, the presence of his adopted brother lightens the tension in Koji's voice just a little - with Z and Great side-by-side, seemingly-impossible threats have been melted into slag multiple times. "I'm glad you're here. Let's do this."
He might not have Tetsuya's ludicrous physique and endurance, but he does have the will to keep going even when all seems lost, and Mazinger Z is just as tough as Great, now.
FPT: Koji Kabuto has acted with Sight and Hit Points.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Liam has gone missing - and although he may not be a formal employee of Sayaka's, he is still a trusted ally of the Photon Power League. Not only that, but the danger the situation brought upon OCU citizens is enough for Sayaka to be able to get her father's help on this one. And OCU intelligence happens to be quite effective...
As well as mobilizing the full extent of her staff. She, Koji, Tets and LiSA are coming along too - and they've received support from outside groups with a concern for Liam as well.
"ARTEMIS CROSS!" Having made the distant travel to the waters of the Phillipines, the Great Mazinger, docking with the iconic Great Booster, is joined by Aphrodite Areia, granted the wings of a goddess with the Artemis Arrow. The Castle of Iron makes his appearance as well: and the three Mazins are flanked by a squadron of Ichinanas, although it is not Shiro's: they have been trusted with the vital task of keeping watch over the Lab.
"We'll find him," Sayaka agrees, as the Hero of the Skies is spurred to anger. "And we'll give those Crucible monsters a sound thrashing while we're at it." Areia's eyes gleam gold.
"Gridman and companions, Miss Stellar, thank you for coming. Your support is much appreciated," Sayaka thanks their backup personally.
It might not be Sayaka's heart that guides her to Liam, but she has other ways. "Ichinana wing, fly out and see what you can find. I'll be joining you shortly. LiSA... keep me posted on what you find, okay?" She's worried about her coming along just as much as Koji is, so she makes extra sure they're in constant contact, at least.
Preparations complete, Aphrodite Areia soars across the skies... beginning the arduous journey to rescue a friend.
FPT: Sayaka Yumi has acted with Sight and Targeting.
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
LiSA looks gravely at Max and nods. "I'll do what I can, but it might be hard if I don't have a lot of processing power." Speaking of processing power, LiSA has already opened up her left arm and plugged herself in to the Ichinana. Yes, this is absurd. No, we will not be answering questions at this time.
"I will..." She says, occupied, but paying attention. Her little Ichi isn't so fancy as the rest of the family machines, save for a tiny Sheryl Nome decal tucked away in the corner. Suspicious.
"Hmm..." She hums under her breath, frowning for a moment as she taps along the sensors. "Please let me know of anything that might affect my search, okay?" It might be a bit awkward but I have an idea..." And indeed, the machine crouches as best as it can, LiSA placing the palms of the machine down against the ground for a moment, out of curiosity for something or the other. "No one saw where they went, right?"
FPT: LiSA has acted with Sight and Hit Points.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko Suzuki is... a bit out of place here, perhaps. She at least doesn't have much of a personal reason to be here. She knows who Liam is from various combat engagements and has judged him as 'one of the good guys', but that's about it. Yet even if she never spoke to him face to face, that's close enough to being personally acquainted that she can't hear about an abduction without wanting to try and do something about it. 'If there's anything you can do to help, you should do it,' is her most often-vocalized credo, and she seeks to live by that as much as she can.
That said, she didn't exactly have a very clear trail to follow. The fact that she just happened to learn of the attack and managed to make her way here to stumble upon a search party in progress might qualify as a miracle. She'll certainly bill it as one, that's kind of her thing. Of course, she initially did have a bit of a rough time actually approaching, for reasons completely unrelated to everything going on.
MOMENTS AGO
"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh it's the Mazinger team what do I do what do I say"
>"Maybe you should start with breathing before worrying about anything else."<
NOW
Having calmed herself sufficiently enough to at least fake carrying herself professionally, the pilot of the NS-1 Sukeban (who, of course, is still going by Nova Stellar) responds to Sayaka's transmission, "It's my pleasure, believe me!" Before coughing, reigning in her enthusiasm. "Though, I'll only be able to accept your thanks once I've done something to deserve it. Let's see what I can do here..."
The violet Arm Slave may have a somewhat patched together appearance, but its sensor package is quite impressive. Moreover, she can use her mind in conjuction with her instruments to expand its range even further. The lack of a very close tie to Liam is what holds her back the most in this, but perhaps it will be sufficient.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Sight and Targeting. FPT: Gridman's Hyperlink Combine Ability assists! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi's I Am Great Mazinger! Ability assists! FPT: Koji Kabuto's Mazin Pride Ability assists! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Guarded Mind and AI-Assisted Analytics Abilities assist! FPT: Sayaka Yumi's Photon Research Director, Aphrodite A Survivor..., and Symbol of Peace and War Abilities assist! FPT: LiSA's Ability assists!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: SGT | | TERRAIN: Air | | ATTRIBUTES: Coordinate and Resolve | | BONUS STATS: HP and TAR | +-----------------------< TITLE: Picking Up The Trail >------------------------+ - It's been hours, at least, since the raid on the ferry, and the trail has - - started to grow cold. - - - - The waters of the Philippine Sea are well-traveled, meaning that whatever - - traces the strange drone craft left behind will be obscured by military - - and civilian traffic. Locating them means a thorough aerial sweep of the - - area, gathering sensor data while being as unobtrusive as possible. It - - also means sifting through that data, and ruling out false leads. It's a - - long, grueling process, but the right equipment and training can make it - - easier, and less tedious. - - - - So can the right connections. Those with open, Awakened hearts--and ties to - - Liam--can search for his presence in the psychic sea. It's so very faint, - - meaning he must be miles and miles away, but it's there. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+ +--------------------------------< TENSION: 3 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Gridman | | STATS: SGT/TAR Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Tetsuya Tsurugi | | STATS: SGT/HP Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Koji Kabuto | | STATS: SGT/HP Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: SGT/TAR Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Sayaka Yumi | | STATS: SGT/TAR Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: LiSA | | STATS: SGT/HP Charges Used: 0 Success | +-----------------------------< Round 1 Results >------------------------------+
FPT: Gridman's party has drawn a new Challenge!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: INT | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Rally, Overawe, and Resolve | | BONUS STATS: SGT and PIL | +--------------------------< TITLE: A Tense Inquiry >--------------------------+ - The drone craft's trail leads to Hong Kong, and seems to end there. The - - background noise of one of the largest ports in the OCU--electromagnetic, - - acoustic, and otherwise--makes for good camouflage, and whomever was - - directing the drone took advantage of that. The one saving grace is that a - - big city means lots of potential witnesses. - - - - It takes time, but collectively you've managed to scrape up a lead: the - - crew of a civilian ship that was nearby when the ferry was attacked. - - They're reluctant to talk, and for good reason. Crime rings, including - - BioNet, have a long reach, and plenty of horrible ways to make witnesses - - disappear. They're afraid for their families, themselves, and their - - livelihoods. Can you convince them to help? - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Vit's scanners, foiled by the height he must travel to, reveal no useful information. He returns to his comrades, hovering near where they've gathered by Junk.
"Looks like it's time for all of us to head out." Vit's voice echoes from the empty cockpit. "I'll join up with you."
"Access... Flash!"
In a shower of brilliant blue pixels, Gridman appears, joined with all four of his comrades. To do this, he has to shrink down a bit -- no longer the 70 meter giant, but still tall enough to contend with any giant robot.
Tetsuya and Great Mazinger, despite their anger, find the trail of the drone craft. With all caution thrown to the wind, now, the group follows after him, almost touching the water in their pursuit.
"RIght!" Gridman calls, his voice now huge and echoing with metallic strength. With a burst of his thrusters, the Giant of Light takes his place at Koji's side. The data will reach him. It always has before. In the same way, Gridman's voice can be heard through the radios of his companions. Communication is key to human hearts, after all. What kind of Hyper Agent would he be if he couldn't manage that much?
Between Great Mazinger finding the trail of the drone and Mazinger Z picking up Neo Getter Robo's ping, the group moves forward. It's enough to spark hope in Gridman's heart -- enough to make him believe they really will save Liam.
Aphrodite Areia, beautiful in her winged form, is not outdone by her comrades either. When the signals inevitably go dim and unreadable, Sayaka is able to locate the next point on the map. Sayaka's calm demeanor is as much a boon to the group as her robot's abilities -- Gridman, at least, feels some of the tension leave his shoulders.
"We're glad to help! Liam's important to us. He was there for Tsutsujidai when we needed him. I won't let anything bad happen!" Gridman says, one hand making a fist and rising up to his chest.
Max asked for a Miracle, and LiSA does not disappoint. A glimmer of familiarity -- perhaps a heart crying out for help -- gets her attention in the distance. It isn't a solid lead, but it's enough to move forward. Perhaps Sheryl Nome watches over us all, her song connecting hearts even now...
Nova, who may be out of place, but certainly welcome, is quickly over her starstruck introduction. Thanks to her Arm Slave's long sensor range, she is the first to direct the group toward Hong Kong. The signal dies out, but it's one more lead than they had before.
"Nice to meet you!" Gridman calls to the Arm Slave. "I'm Gridman! Thanks so much for helping out -- and I'll thank you again once we find Liam, safe and sound."
Saying it out loud makes it more real.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Gridman may not be able to find Liam alone, but together, they make progress towards their goal.
And Nova ultimately guides them to Hong Kong. "Well, there you go." Sayaka says lightly of her wishing to do something useful to earn that thanks. "I'd say finding us a rest point with possible witnesses is a job well done."
But first, they need to actually get that information out of them. "I'll try opening the line. See what I can hear from them. But they may be more willing to listen to someone more unassuming and less... intense." She can't help but think of Tetsuya there, as much as his help is appreciated. "On the other hand, that might be exactly what we need."
"Hello." She greets the crew of the civilian ship. "This is Sayaka Yumi with the Photon Power Labs. Did you happen to witness a ferry go off course?" Noticing their hesitation, she adds, "We suspect it must have something to do with BioNet. Therefore, if you believe you are at all at risk... I have OCU troops with me sent by PM Gennosuke Yumi. Regardless of whether you have answers for me, I can arrange to have you under their protection."
"Koji, what do you think?" She asides. "Think you can make a friendlier impression?"
She also wonders of Gridman will be of any help, he may be a giant, but he's a pretty friendly kid and has some smooth friends with him.
FPT: Sayaka Yumi has acted with Intuition and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"You're better at diplomacy than me," Koji remarks to Sayaka with a fond smile audible over the radio, "but I'll try my best. I am supposed to be a 'hero', after all."
Mazinger Z touches down in the water next to the vessel, close enough to the dock that it's only submerged up to its knees. "PILDER OFF!" The bright red control vehicle detaches from Z's cranial dock, swinging around to land on the vessel's deck and allowing Koji to disembark. "We're chasing up an abduction and our trail's lead us back here. If you can tell us anything... Well. Mazinger Z would owe you all a debt." Name-dropping his machine is probably the right angle to play here, right?
FPT: Koji Kabuto has acted with Intuition and Piloting.
<Pose Tracker> Tetsuya Tsurugi has posed.
MEANWHILE, IN THE SKY.
"It'd be a good idea if you all talked," Great Mazinger looms, its pilot about as unhelpful in diplomacy as anything can possibly be. But judging by the way the stormclouds are gathering overhead, it may be that a 'diplomatic solution' isn't what he's going for here. "If they're reluctant... Well."
"I can go down there and perhaps 'convince' them, myself."
(Please don't, Tetsuya. We don't need an international incident.)
FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi has acted with Intuition and Hit Points.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
As Mazinger Z lands in the water, Gridman does as well. He may be a little oversized for diplomacy, but he's going to do his best. Displaced water threatens to capsize nearby ships as Gridman kneels down, carefully waving to the gathered crew.
"Hello! My name is Gridman. Like my friends said, we're looking for someone. He's in a lot of danger, and it's really important we find him soon." The Giant of Light speaks with a smile in his tone, even if he can't have one on his face.
For much the same reason as Tetsuya, the Neon Genesis Junior High Students choose to remain silent.
"Please, if you know anything, please tell us. I promise I'll repay you."
FPT: Gridman has acted with Intuition and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
A ferry... LiSA can practically be -heard- frowning.
Her sensors aren't the best for this, but with what she did before... A ferry would mean likely ocean-based, or nearby... and she frowns, glancing down out of her screen. "D- Koji, do we have a map I can access of this area, specifically around the ports?" She asks, hands off the controls as the AiRepliComploid leans forward over the few, taking mental notes that get overlaid over a map once she's gotten it.
She's a sweetheart, but Sayaka is the Queen of Diplomacy in the Mazin Council ... so she does what she's good at.
FPT: LiSA has acted with Intuition and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Nova is sure glad that nobody can see into her cockpit. She really wants to look competent in front of the Big Damn Heroes, that was putting a lot of pressure on herself. Despite being nervous, her efforts thankfully go off without a hitch, taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat off her brow before reporting back her findings. It's fine if they all think she was only using her machine to do that, best not to let on about the mental abilities that she barely even begins to understand. A bit taxing on the whole, but she managed to do something useful, thank god.
"S-so you are," Nova lamely replies to Gridman's assertion that he is, in fact, Gridman. That's a whole other Thing, which, cool as it may be, confuses her too much for her to get starry-eyed over. She knows the basics, at least, that much should be easy enough to bring up in conversation. "Call me Nova... hey, I heard about you punching kaijus, is that right, is that what you do? I recently got to punch one myself, took its head right off, it was awesome!" It's not even an exaggeration, even if she didn't exactly fight it by myself.
By the time Sayaka speaks to her, she can manage to sound more confident than she was feeling earlier. "Heh heh, I do pride myself on Sukeban's sensors. Like every other part of it, they're my own design." ...Maybe that was a bit overboard on the confidence, that sounded like bragging. C'mon Nova, you can talk to people better than this!
Oh no, now she has to talk to people, she can't talk to people better than this! Especially not perfect strangers, face to face. She is not coming out of her robot, absolutely not. But from the safety of her cockpit, she can manage to put up enough of an act to support the others a bit, at least. All she has to do here is speaking her mind honestly.
"Come on folks, don't you know who these people are!? They're legendary heroes! You'd be crazy to miss an opportunity to help them out!"
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Intuition and Sight. FPT: Gridman's Hyperlink Combine Ability assists! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi's Attrition applies! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi's I Am Great Mazinger! Ability assists! FPT: Koji Kabuto's Mazin Pride Ability assists! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Unnatural Intuition applies! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Guarded Mind Ability assists! FPT: Sayaka Yumi's Photon Research Director, Aphrodite A Survivor..., and Symbol of Peace and War Abilities assist! FPT: LiSA's Ability assists!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: INT | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Rally, Overawe, and Resolve | | BONUS STATS: SGT and PIL | +--------------------------< TITLE: A Tense Inquiry >--------------------------+ - The drone craft's trail leads to Hong Kong, and seems to end there. The - - background noise of one of the largest ports in the OCU--electromagnetic, - - acoustic, and otherwise--makes for good camouflage, and whomever was - - directing the drone took advantage of that. The one saving grace is that a - - big city means lots of potential witnesses. - - - - It takes time, but collectively you've managed to scrape up a lead: the - - crew of a civilian ship that was nearby when the ferry was attacked. - - They're reluctant to talk, and for good reason. Crime rings, including - - BioNet, have a long reach, and plenty of horrible ways to make witnesses - - disappear. They're afraid for their families, themselves, and their - - livelihoods. Can you convince them to help? - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+ +--------------------------------< TENSION: 9 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Gridman | | STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Tetsuya Tsurugi | | STATS: INT/HP Charges Used: 1 Failure | | PILOT: Koji Kabuto | | STATS: INT/PIL Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Sayaka Yumi | | STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: LiSA | | STATS: INT/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success | +-----------------------------< Round 2 Results >------------------------------+
FPT: Gridman's party has drawn a new Challenge!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: SKL | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Close Quarters and Response | | BONUS STATS: WSP and ARM | +---------------------< TITLE: An Unwelcome Interruption >---------------------+ - Negotiations with the civilian crew are proceeding--maybe well, maybe - - poorly--when someone else tries to disrupt them, violently. A group of - - bright, primary-colored Mobile Weapons are stalking down the dockside, in - - plain view of everyone. Their suits run the gamut from Knightmare Frames - - to Arm Slaves to Wanzers. None of them look well-maintained. - - - - "Okay, folks! Everybody come out, one by one, so we can take you someplace - - you don't have to worry about all this!" That voice seems to be their - - commander--male-sounding, piloting a fire-red Savage II. - - - - "Um. Chief?" Another voice, female-sounding, from one of the Wanzers. - - "Sensors are--" - - - - "/Not now/." - - - - IFF beacons mark them as members of the China Sea Marauders, a cut-rate - - mercenary group notorious for being both desperate and morally bankrupt. - - The good news is that between their poorly-maintained suits, their lack of - - unit cohesion, and the element of surprise, they should be easy to deal - - with. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 1 >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"It's a giant!" One of the men calls when Gridman's massive form kneels down in the waters. "Are you kidding?" A woman replies, unimpressed. "That's just one of 'em fancy new mobile suits." She scoffs. "No, look! He's talking! For real!" Unfortunately, while this exchange occurs, they don't actually respond to Gridman's pleas for help.
Tetsuya opts not to disrupt negotiations for all his fearsomeness - and perhaps it's for the best. Still, Great Mazinger does what it does best - watches down with a fierce gaze.
"OCU troops, eh?" An older man replies to Sayaka's own approach. "You're Yumi's girl! Hmph, if you're gonna help us louts out, then I might just know who's getting my vote in the next election." Sayaka doesn't care about that of course, but the man does call someone in who might know a thing or two, carrying in a child with him.
"Daddy! That's Mazinger!" The child points, and Nova's appeal to heroism does not go unnoticed. The man would not hear the end of it from his kid if he chose not to help out Mazinger. "Yeah, I saw a ferry. Looked like a huge brawl went down. Some real fast jets flew in and then-"
Unfortunately, just as the man's about to get to the part they don't already know, the China Sea Marauders storm in!
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
The Mazinger is pointed out by a small child, and Lisa blinks, and smiles to herself, even as Koji calls back out to her - "Yeah, let me just get the local documents for you!" She doesn't say anything, head tilting down as she overlays the documents with her notes, and frowns even more fiercely when the beacons go off.
"Hey, we're just looking for information--" LiSA mutters, to which that male voice, 'Chief', cuts LiSA off. "Not without our permission you're not!" He snaps, at which point a vibrant, lime green Arm Slave fires right at the Aphrodite Areia.
"Mom, watch out!" ????
Lisa's Ichinana dives right in front of the shot, taking it for the Aphrodite. Luckily, the Ichi isn't a flimsy machine. "Protect the ferry! Fight to incapacitate, if they're trying to interrupt, they might know as well!" Is this obvious? Yes. Is the point needing to be made to the ferry that they're going to do what they said they are: Heroic.
Firepower of all type goes out, in a mostly disorganized mess: Mostly, because they're all using ranged firepower. Disorganized, because they're not focused. Mess, because they're not in the best condition....
FPT: LiSA has acted with Skill and Armor.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
The sound of machinery approaching has Koji whirling to face the oncoming China Sea Marauders. Fortunately, it's dark enough that Mazinger Z, powered off with the Pilder undocked, is pretty hard to make out next to the boat. "... Hey, sir," he says, urgently, "get yourself and your kid under cover. We'll handle this."
The first indication the China Sea Marauders have that they've bitten off more than they can chew is the cry of "PILDER ON!" echoing over the dock. The second is the baleful yellow eyes of Mazinger Z lighting up in the darkness as its chest-mounted radiator array warms up and the Castle of Iron turns to face them, towering over the comparatively tiny machines with great fists that could easily flatten them.
Koji Kabuto has one word for these fools, as small-arms fire bounces off Super Alloy New Z: "Really?"
FPT: Koji Kabuto has acted with Skill and Armor.
<Pose Tracker> Tetsuya Tsurugi has posed.
'Fight to incapacitate' she says.
"Tch, bandits," Tetsuya's voice reverberates... ominously?
An instant later, not one, but two swords hurtle out of the sky, parting the clouds as they fall. They land amidst-- or potentially even through-- the piratical machines.
Lightning flashes, then falls. "DYNAMITE KICK!" Tetsuya roars, crashing into one of the offending wanzers, before extending an arm towards either blade. "THUNDEEEER--" Electricity leaps from the Majin's crown to its horns, to its fingertips, then finally to each of the loosed blades. "--BREEEEEAAAAK!" It sweeps its arms across its chest, flicking an arc of flashing lightning across a half dozen pirates at once.
"Surrender immediately," he demands of the Marauders, "Unless you'd like me to continue."
FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi has acted with Skill and Armor.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Nova! Hello. And yeah, I've punched a lot of kaiju! Not so many anymore, though." Gridman says, a little shyly. "I'd really rather find a way we can all communicate together. If we don't have to fight, then I don't want to, you know?"
The crowd seems friendly, if unhelpful. Gridman sighs, looking to his companions. "U--um, yeah, I'm real! But about that information..?" Gridman asks, helplessly. It seems the others are having better luck, at least -- aside from Tetsuya.
But the momentary peace from the crowd is interrupted. Gridman stands, displacing more water, and turns to face the enemy Mobile Weapons. Really? This ragtag bunch is going to go up against a group with legendary heroes like Koji and Sayaka?
"Back away from the crowd!" Gridman shouts, stepping carefully to enforce the boundary he's demanded.
Calibur comes to Gridman's hand with a thought from the Giant, and he takes a fighting stance.
"These idiots can't be serious..." Borr complains. "I say we blow them up."
"We will not." Max answers, evenly.
"I have an idea -- Borr, you know what to do." Gridman stands taller, allowing the missile launchers on his shoulders to come to life. "Sydney Super Adhesive Missile!"
Dozens of miniature missiles race toward the rag-tag enemy group. Strangely, instead of aiming for the cockpit, they explode at the feet of the opposing mobile suits, leaving behind an intensely sticky pink goo. Those pirates aren't going anywhere.
FPT: Gridman has acted with Skill and W-Space.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
It seems these people are willing to talk, thankfully. To someone other than Nova, double thankfully. All seems to be going well... until a group of people piloting various machines intervenes, and Naoko immediately senses trouble. Her immediate thought is 'thank god, we can stop talking and start punching'. She's a lot more confident about contibuting in that area.
...Wait a minute. Is this it? Yes, this is it. This is the moment she's been waiting for. Though she probably wouldn't have normally, in the heat of the moment, she foregoes applying a suffix even to the name of one of her heroes in all the excitement.
"Koji! Look, look!" With that, the Sukeban slams its fists together, before extending one arm forward. Did she...? Of course she did.
"Burn, fist of justice! ROKKETTO PUUUUUUUUUNCH!!"
Sure enough, the Sukeban's fist rockets off full force towards an opposing Arm Slave. Unfortunately she hasn't been able to work out an effective way to retrieve it quickly, so it does this while remaining wire-tethered to the machine. Couldn't be helped, she needs that fist to punch with.
And punch she does, directly following this. In her element against opponents her own machine's size, and morale maxed out by getting to show off her Rocket Punch to Koji Kabuto himself, she just charges right in with superheated fists and starts swinging. The level of violence only increases further once she brings the giant spiked metal club she carries into the mix.
Hopefully those weapons are in as poor a condition as they look, she's bound to take some damage doing this. Worth it, in her estimation. Absolutely worth it. If there was ever a time to show off, this is it.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Skill and Intuition.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
LiSA jumps forth to protect Sayaka and Aphrodite Areia, and her eyes widen at the sheer danger she's putting herself in so much that she doesn't even process that she called her Mom. "Lisa, what are you-" She's safe. The Ichinana is quite the tank, too. "Thanks, Lisa... just next time, Areia's got it covered, alright?" She should be the one protecting Lisa, she feels... but maybe that's LiSA's way of showing she's capable.
And Areia does indeed got it covered. As weapons bounce off the Mazinger Z's armour, Gridman sticks them in place, and Tetsuya puts on a show with his Thunder Break... Sayaka estimates she doesn't even need her weapons for this one.
As she rushes in for some good ol' fashioned Aphrodite hand-to-hand combat, grappling, and using Areia's impressive strength to lift one of the Maruaders from the ground, levelling its cockpit to Areia's face. "You should really give it up," Sayaka says, nonchalantly to her unfortunate victim. "This is a seriously pathetic showing, and you're lucky you didn't run into worse. Now... how can you make me trust you enough to put you down?"
Nova, on the other hand, calls out a familiar attack. "That wasn't such a bad Rocket Punch," Sayaka compliments. "You got the shout down just right."
FPT: Sayaka Yumi has acted with Skill and Armor. FPT: Gridman's Open Your Eyes applies! FPT: Gridman's Ringing Bell Ability assists! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi's For The Place I Belong! applies! FPT: Koji Kabuto's Don't think you've won! applies! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Unnatural Intuition applies!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: SKL | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Close Quarters and Response | | BONUS STATS: WSP and ARM | +---------------------< TITLE: An Unwelcome Interruption >---------------------+ - Negotiations with the civilian crew are proceeding--maybe well, maybe - - poorly--when someone else tries to disrupt them, violently. A group of - - bright, primary-colored Mobile Weapons are stalking down the dockside, in - - plain view of everyone. Their suits run the gamut from Knightmare Frames - - to Arm Slaves to Wanzers. None of them look well-maintained. - - - - "Okay, folks! Everybody come out, one by one, so we can take you someplace - - you don't have to worry about all this!" That voice seems to be their - - commander--male-sounding, piloting a fire-red Savage II. - - - - "Um. Chief?" Another voice, female-sounding, from one of the Wanzers. - - "Sensors are--" - - - - "/Not now/." - - - - IFF beacons mark them as members of the China Sea Marauders, a cut-rate - - mercenary group notorious for being both desperate and morally bankrupt. - - The good news is that between their poorly-maintained suits, their lack of - - unit cohesion, and the element of surprise, they should be easy to deal - - with. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 1 >-------------------------------+ +-------------------------------< TENSION: 15 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Gridman | | STATS: SKL/WSP Charges Used: 0 Failure | | PILOT: Tetsuya Tsurugi | | STATS: SKL/ARM Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Koji Kabuto | | STATS: SKL/ARM Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: SKL/INT Charges Used: 1 Failure | | PILOT: Sayaka Yumi | | STATS: SKL/ARM Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: LiSA | | STATS: SKL/ARM Charges Used: 0 Success | +-----------------------------< Round 3 Results >------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
"Chief, that's the Great - ... THERE'S TWO OF THEM!" The woman in the Wanzer panics as Koji's Mazinger awakens, those yellow, baleful eyes This is one of the wisest reactions, as she is bowled over by a horrendously sunny yellow Knightmare Frame that backpedals at the sight of the Mazinger. Honestly, half this battle is just actually seeing these poor machines...
Tetsuya's blades do manage to catch one poor bright pink Arm Slave, and the following THUNDER BREAK!!! (mouthed along silently to by Lisa in the seat of her Ichinana), fries it well and good, and covers the adhesive missiles coming from Gridman. Nova, who even with little direction is in sync with the rest of the group, wades into the fray on the outside, those that didn't get caught getting ROCKET PUNCH'd right back into the goop. Generally, most of them are down for the count, except for a single one in Sayaka's grasp.
Nova and Gridman do find, though, they've both accidentally gotten a bit of that adhesive goop on them, but not as badly as the Marauders.
The one in Sayaka's grasp swallows heavily. "Um... I surrender?"
Also on a soft sideband, Lisa murmurs to Sayaka: "I won't apologize for that one. I did what you would do."
FPT: Gridman's party has drawn a new Challenge!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: MOB | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Breakthrough | | BONUS STATS: SGT and TAR | +-----------------------< TITLE: A Suspicious Lockdown >-----------------------+ - The signal trail winds north and east, slowly gaining in strength as it - - travels through the northern reaches of the DHZ. It passes around Beijing - - in a wide loop, and continues onwards, towards Vladivostok in the Khanka - - Autonomous Region. - - - - As you approach the outskirts of the city, things start to get strange. - - Wanzers, police Labors, and other vehicles have barricaded the major - - highways, and patrols sweep likely avenues of ingress. - - - - "--subversive elements. The National Defense Force urges citizens to remain - - in their homes for their own safety, until the state of emergency is - - lifted." - - - - The broadcast repeats in Mandarin, Zaftran, Korean, and several other - - languages. Someone of considerable rank in the REA military suspects there - - are terrorists in the city, and has locked it down. Insignia and radio - - chatter identify the patrolling units as members of a single brigade. It - - becomes clear that they're intent on keeping people /out/ rather than - - rooting out people who are already in the city. - - - - There's too many of them. You're going to have to find a way to slip - - through, somehow. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Nova breathes heavily, following that workout. For her, piloting is mostly a mental affair, particularly taxing during sustained close combat. But, that's how she chose to handle it, nobody to blame but herself. And, still, absolutely worth it. Damage is within acceptable range of her estimations. It's just...
"What is this stuff," she mutters, trying and failing to get the goop off her machine as the group moves on. It just gets stuck to the Sukeban's hands instead. Whatever, she'll just have to take care of that later. She can move, that's what's important.
Following the lead obtained from the grateful and rightfully impressed crowd in Hong Kong, it's not long before the tracker signal is picked back up. They're getting closer, no doubt about it. And it's headed directly into REA territory. This doesn't concern Nova so much, barely understanding all the politics involved. The situation in Vladivostok however, that's more problematic.
"I hate to admit it, but I'm not feeling so confident about fighting that many." She glances back at those who accompany her, a sweatdrop forming on her forehead. "I don't suppose staying out of sight is an option." She might be able to, but she's not about to suggest going on by herself. She's confident, not crazy. Which leaves only one option that she can see.
"We need a distraction. They're looking for terrorists, right? Why don't we make it look like there's some far away from where we are?"
As for what she can contribute to that... "Go, Saucers!" The Sukeban's shoulder discs fly off into the distance. Another taxing mental exercise, but she'll find a good spot to start a beam barrage from her remote weapons, in hopes of drawing attention away.
FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Mobility and Sight.
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
In the wake of the fight, Koji realises something.. odd, that has Mazinger Z's gaze lingering on LiSA's Ichinana for a few moments.
A rocket punch, huh? Koji grins at Nova's excitement, as Z raises a thumbs-up to the 'Sukeban' arm slave. "Always glad to be an inspiration!"
Eventually, though, they get the data they need from the pirates, and it's time to move on. The OCU squad can clean up this mess.
Approaching Vladivostok, Koji frowns. "They're warning people away from the city, but... I don't see any signs of patrols inside the city. It's almost like they're more interested in stopping people searching for them... hours after an abduction???"
Naoko has an excellent suggestion, and Koji nods in approval. "Lisa, Sayaka, can you chart the city and pick out any likely spots for a BioNet base? While Nova's distraction is going, we'll go high up, over their sensor net, and down again in the middle of the city. Nova, your AS is rated for extreme-altitude, right?" It's the kind of play that would put strain on other machines and requires precise route-charting and targeting to make work...
FPT: Koji Kabuto spends 2 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Koji Kabuto has acted with Mobility and Targeting.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
After the man in the Wanzer cockpit surrenders, Sayaka lets him go without too much trouble. They have places to be and someone to find, after all!
And well, when Lisa refuses to apologize and points out that it's something she'd do, too - she doesn't exactly have an argument for that. "...Fine. We all protect each other." She concedes.
They find more difficulty in the next step of their mission: in which they must move through REA territory. Their party has considerably thinned at this point, with the OCU squad staying behind. It means they don't have to smuggle an entire squadron through the territory but some five pilots and a Hyper Agent is tough, too.
Nova's idea is smart, though, creating a distraction. Hoping the saucers are enough, she follows with her phase of the plan, herding Lisa with her. "This place is suspicious," she marks a place on the map, a mostly abandoned corner of the city. And conveniently... they've been led away from it. "What do you think, Lisa? Enough of a lead to pounce on it?"
FPT: Sayaka Yumi has acted with Mobility and Sight. FPT: Sayaka Yumi spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round!
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
Cat first, then dog, Koji. Lisa is a fox. "We've got it! If I can go still, I can process it faster, but I'll do what I can." She adds on, reasonably. She's a Super AI, sure, but she is mostly human. (Human again... I'll be human again...)
Speaking of herding cats, LiSA is herded that-a-way by Sayaka, probably the best as she is somewhat distracted as the data flows. "It reads good to me, but ..." A hesitation. "Is it me or does it feel like, um, like they phrase it in that one older movie... it's a trap?"
Thanks, Lisa.
FPT: LiSA has acted with Mobility and Sight. FPT: LiSA spends 2 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round!
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Sticky adhesive from Borr's missile accidentally falls on Gridman himself and Nova. "Shit, sorry!" Borr calls, as Gridman tiredly works himself out of the goop.
Once he's free, the others have moved ahead. In another situation, seeing this much of the city would be really exciting, but now Gridman's thoughts are consumed with worry for his friend. Once he catches up with his companions at the barricade, the Giant of Light tilts his head.
"Why is this here..?" He asks, a little baffled. "Is it because of us? Or is the government working with the kidnappers?"
Nova, a steap ahead of Gridman, lays out her plan and immediately executes it. "Hang on!" He shouts, but it's too late. Saucers fly, and Gridman winces at the damage to come. "Sorry..." he says, to no one in particular.
"We're with you, Koji!" Sky Vitter speaks up. "We can handle any kind of altitude as long as I'm around."
"I understand your suspicion, Miss LiSA, Dr. Sayaka, but I believe we have no other choice. We must simply rely on our strength to defeat any snare ahead of us." Max rumbles. "We do not have time to spare."
<Pose Tracker> Tetsuya Tsurugi has posed.
"Hmn, not bad," Tetsuya says, Great flashing Naoko a thumbs up of approval. Meanwhile, an Arm Slave sizzles at the majin's feet.
...
"Hmph. Sneaking through isn't exactly my forte," Tetsuya grunts. If LiSa is a fox, then Tetsuya is... TECHNICALLY he's very hawk coded, but functionally he's more like some kind of bear. Because that's exactly the kind of animal you DON'T want to run into on a mountain somewhere. Also, because like a bear, he can tear trees apart with his bare (bear) hands. But that's neither here nor there. A distraction, though...
...
No. It's probably not a good idea. Tetsuya puts it aside and follows after the others before he does something foolish. (Like taking on the entire garrison by himself while the rest of the team sneaks through).
(HE KIND OF STILL WANTS TO.)
FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi has acted with Mobility and Sight. FPT: Gridman spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Gridman has acted with Mobility and Targeting. FPT: Gridman's Attrition applies! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi's Mazin-Power! Ability assists! FPT: Koji Kabuto's Mazin Power! Ability assists! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's Attrition applies! FPT: Sayaka Yumi's Attrition applies! FPT: LiSA's Attrition applies!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: MOB | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Breakthrough | | BONUS STATS: SGT and TAR | +-----------------------< TITLE: A Suspicious Lockdown >-----------------------+ - The signal trail winds north and east, slowly gaining in strength as it - - travels through the northern reaches of the DHZ. It passes around Beijing - - in a wide loop, and continues onwards, towards Vladivostok in the Khanka - - Autonomous Region. - - - - As you approach the outskirts of the city, things start to get strange. - - Wanzers, police Labors, and other vehicles have barricaded the major - - highways, and patrols sweep likely avenues of ingress. - - - - "--subversive elements. The National Defense Force urges citizens to remain - - in their homes for their own safety, until the state of emergency is - - lifted." - - - - The broadcast repeats in Mandarin, Zaftran, Korean, and several other - - languages. Someone of considerable rank in the REA military suspects there - - are terrorists in the city, and has locked it down. Insignia and radio - - chatter identify the patrolling units as members of a single brigade. It - - becomes clear that they're intent on keeping people /out/ rather than - - rooting out people who are already in the city. - - - - There's too many of them. You're going to have to find a way to slip - - through, somehow. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 2 >-------------------------------+ +-------------------------------< TENSION: 21 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Gridman | | STATS: MOB/TAR Charges Used: 1 Failure | | PILOT: Tetsuya Tsurugi | | STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Koji Kabuto | | STATS: MOB/TAR Charges Used: 2 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Sayaka Yumi | | STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 1 Failure | | PILOT: LiSA | | STATS: MOB/SGT Charges Used: 2 Success | +-----------------------------< Round 4 Results >------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
No matter what happens now, Nova will never regret it. Getting Koji Kabuto's and even Tetsuya Tsurugi's approval on her Rocket Punch? That doesn't just make her day, it makes her entire year. Even if at the start of the year she couldn't have imagined ending up the pilot of her own machine, there's no question that every single one of her actions that led to her being here today has been worth it, one hundred percent.
Now all they need to do is succeed here, and continue succeeding until Liam is freed. A foregone conclusion, at this point. There's no way this group of heroes can lose. And she herself doesn't know the meaning of the word failure. Give her a dictionary and she'll tear out that page, see if she won't.
Gridman's protest doesn't even register - she's way too motivated to be helpful here. She has no qualms about causing a bit of property damage in the pursuit of justice. And so she does, that explosion somewhere in the distance was probably a vehicle of some sort. You need an explosion for something to look like terrorism, that's just science. It was unoccupied of course, she's not a monster. People have insurance, right? It's fine.
Koji's question comes while her attention still needs to be elsewhere, but that doesn't mean she's unable to respond. "It can handle altitudes fine, sure... recently reinforced it a bit, even. I'll just need to hitch a ride to get up that high."
In the mean time, the bait is taken. The NDF goes out in force to the 'terrorism site', which small as it is will undoubtedly be contained quickly. With the best route all planned out by the others, all that remains now is to travel over towards the suspected BioNet facility. As for how that goes...
FPT: Gridman's party has drawn a new Challenge!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: HP | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Swarm, Endurance, and Coordinate | | BONUS STATS: TAR and RX | +---------------------< TITLE: What Bribe Money Can Buy >----------------------+ - Vladivostok is locked down tight, but your team has managed to make it past - - the REA's patrols. The trail leads to the docks, past warehouses and - - massive cranes and labyrinthine stacks of shipping containers. The small - - army of loader Labors is parked and inert; powered exoskeletons stand - - locked and idle in their charging docks. The trail seems to end at a - - container ship in the distance, registered as the AGL Aquitaine. - - - - "HALT!" - - - - A transmission breaks the silence. A squad of Wanzers is approaching with - - blistering speed; more are racing in behind them. Wave after wave appears - - on sensors. - - - - "Power down and surrender to NDF custody, immediately!" - - - - You're cornered. The people in those Mobile Weapons--knowingly, or not--are - - protecting what is almost certainly a BioNet asset. They have their - - orders, and will fight ferociously to see them through. They have both - - numbers and indoctrination-induced determination on their side. If you - - can't keep them at bay, the trail might end here, and with it, Liam's - - freedom. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Having made it into the city relatively unopposed, Koji leads the sweep for the BioNet facility.
"Halt! Power down and surrender to the NDF immediately!" A wanzer squad approaching - from a defensive position, rather than a scouting position? Shouldn't they be looking for terrorists? Koji rolls his eyes.
"This is Koji Kabuto, Londo Bell, cooperating with a NERV investigation. You stand down and surrender." He knows they won't. "Tetsuya, push forwards, I'll hold them off here."
Photon Power crackles at the tips of Mazinger Z's flat horns as their hue shifts to an icy blue. "REITO BEAM! FIRE!" The
blue rays lance out and strike the tarmac ahead of the approach vector of the NDF Wanzers, trying to create a massive
wall of ice in front of them to buy the group time to push forward and penetrate the Aquitane. Koji keeps the trigger
held down, continuing to sweep the crystal-blue hypothermic rays across the dock.
FPT: Koji Kabuto has acted with Hit Points and Reactor. FPT: LiSA has acted with Hit Points and Reactor. FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round!
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
"Don't know the word." Is all Sayaka says, with gritted teeth, as she's told to stand down and surrender. Who do these people think they are?
Koji holds the Wanzers back, creating an opening for her, Tetsuya and the rest to push forward. The Castle of Iron can take it.
"Artemis Arrow: firing mode!" Landing on the ground with a stomp, the Artemis Arrow is removed and becomes a classical longbow. Streaks of light fill the area, as arrows of light rain in Sayaka's wake.
They're this close: they haven't come this far to leave empty-handed without Liam safe.
FPT: Sayaka Yumi spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Sayaka Yumi spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Sayaka Yumi has acted with Hit Points and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Thankfully, Vit is able to keep up with his companions. Gridman lands softly next to Koji. Everything seems normal at first, until someone shouts over the transmission. Gridman turns to face the approaching Wanzers.
"Sorry, that's not really an option for me." Despite the waves of Wanzers racing toward them, the Giant of Light isn't concerned until Koji offers to stay behind and hold them off. "Koji, please stay safe. If you need anything, just call and we'll be by your side!"
Rushing forward alongside Tetsuya and Sayaka, Gridman holds Calibur in both hands. He has no idea what's ahead for them -- again, the horrors of the Vist Foundation laboratories he heard about flash through his mind. If it's anything like that, he's not going to hold back at all!
"Stay focused." Calibur murmurs. "This is about Liam."
"Right, but! We can't let a place like that exist!" Gridman sounds distressed, and he glances back toward Koji. "If they have this many guards outside, what are they hiding in here?"
Feeling the sensation of Vit detaching from his body, Gridman comes to a halt, looking up at his comrade.
"Hey, if you're that worried about Koji, I'll go back him up." Vit says, lazily. "You won't need to be flying in there anyway. Get going!"
Gridman nods once and turns back toward Sayaka and Tetsuya, running with new speed. Vit soars to Koji, launching missiles at the approaching Wanzers.
"Hey, Doctor Kabuto. Thought you might get a little lonely out here!" Sky Vitter banks in the air, returning for another bombing run. "I'm here to back you up!"
FPT: Gridman has acted with Hit Points and Reactor. FPT: Gridman spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round!
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Darnit. Looks like not everyone failed to notice what was really going on. Stands to reason, Nova supposes. Even with the best angle of approach, this group of absolute giants (and a tiny Arm Slave) would still be hard to miss if you happened to glance in the right direction at the right time.
The appearance of military Wanzers is enough to give her pause, unsure what the right call is. She'd hate to surrender now, but it doesn't feel right to get everyone else in trouble if they're not on board with doing this the hard way. Thankfully the Photon Power Lab crew don't disappoint, not that she thought they would. And once they provide the impetus...
"Yeah! This is Hero Business, how dare you get in the way!"
There's that confidence. And that club. And-- "KANABOU BEEEEEEEAM!!" --a giant sustained beam from that club, swept across anyone who gets in the way of her advance. All they have to do is get in there, they're so close...!
FPT: Naoko Suzuki spends 1 ID Charges! They will apply this coming round! FPT: Naoko Suzuki has acted with Hit Points and Reactor.
<Pose Tracker> Tetsuya Tsurugi has posed.
"Finally," Tetsuya drawls, Great Mazinger drawing its blades and stepping forward with a gunslinger's swagger. "You don't have to tell me, Koji. I know exactly what to do with these."
One step.
Two. Three. Half a dozen. More. Great Mazinger surges forward, burying a Mazinger Blade into the first Wanzer, before drawing and hurling its heat sink with a roar of "GREAT BOOMERANG!" Like a buzzsaw, it's hurled through yet more wanzers, until--
"GREAT!!" The wind stirs. "TYPHOOOOOOOOON!" The wind-- roars! A vicious whirlwind blasts through the ranks of the assembled forces, and-- accelerates the boomerang as it flies, sending it hurtling this way and that like a living thing, a hunting hawk seeking its prey.
This is Tetsuya's element. He is full of fury, and he will not stop until the force before him is broken.
This... might be something of an Incident, but as Koji says, they are acting with authority here.
And sometimes, having the mailed fist of the Federal Government in your corner can be a boon.
FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi has acted with Hit Points and Reactor. FPT: Gridman's Ringing Bell and Our S.O.S. Abilities assist! FPT: Tetsuya Tsurugi's For The Woman I Love!, For My Child's Future!, and Mazin-Power! Abilities assist! FPT: Koji Kabuto's Mazin Power! Ability assists! FPT: Naoko Suzuki's AI-Assisted Analytics Ability assists! FPT: Sayaka Yumi's Light of the Future and Photon Research Director Abilities assist! FPT: LiSA's Ability assists!
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +--------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Exploration >---------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: HP | | TERRAIN: Ground | | ATTRIBUTES: Swarm, Endurance, and Coordinate | | BONUS STATS: TAR and RX | +---------------------< TITLE: What Bribe Money Can Buy >----------------------+ - Vladivostok is locked down tight, but your team has managed to make it past - - the REA's patrols. The trail leads to the docks, past warehouses and - - massive cranes and labyrinthine stacks of shipping containers. The small - - army of loader Labors is parked and inert; powered exoskeletons stand - - locked and idle in their charging docks. The trail seems to end at a - - container ship in the distance, registered as the AGL Aquitaine. - - - - "HALT!" - - - - A transmission breaks the silence. A squad of Wanzers is approaching with - - blistering speed; more are racing in behind them. Wave after wave appears - - on sensors. - - - - "Power down and surrender to NDF custody, immediately!" - - - - You're cornered. The people in those Mobile Weapons--knowingly, or not--are - - protecting what is almost certainly a BioNet asset. They have their - - orders, and will fight ferociously to see them through. They have both - - numbers and indoctrination-induced determination on their side. If you - - can't keep them at bay, the trail might end here, and with it, Liam's - - freedom. - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: 3 >-------------------------------+ +-------------------------------< TENSION: 27 >--------------------------------+ | PILOT: Gridman | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Tetsuya Tsurugi | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 1 Success | | PILOT: Koji Kabuto | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 0 Success | | PILOT: Naoko Suzuki | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 1 Failure | | PILOT: Sayaka Yumi | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 2 Success | | PILOT: LiSA | | STATS: HP/RX Charges Used: 0 Failure | +-----------------------------< Round 5 Results >------------------------------+
+------------------------------< Flashpoint 1.0 >------------------------------+ +----------------------< FLASHPOINT CHALLENGE: Success >-----------------------+ | MANDATORY STAT: | | TERRAIN: | | ATTRIBUTES: nothing | | BONUS STATS: nothing | +------------------------< TITLE: The End of the Line >------------------------+ - BioNet's last line of defense fights viciously, but in the end, it falls - - before you. You have a few, precious minutes to repair, rearm, and - - coordinate with your teammates--which, it turns out, include people who've - - arrived at the port before you. More are coming in from behind. The AGL - - Aquitaine is dead ahead. - - - - And now that it's backed into a corner, Crucible is deploying its heaviest - - hitters--its own operatives. - - - - The Aquitaine's cavernous hold slides open, and the roar of jet engines - - fills the air as a Mobile Suit takes to the skies. It's Titans-blue, and - - has the rough profile of a Byarlant, and it wastes no time getting into an - - advantageous position. A second, smaller vehicle leaps over the side and - - starts stomping towards you, scattering containers in its wake. A Wanzer? - - It's /big/. - - - - Both of these threats need to be dealt with. On top of that, /someone/ - - needs to get into the Aquitaine and search for Liam, and anyone else - - Crucible has abducted. This is going to be a rough one, but it needs to be - - done regardless. People are counting on you. - - - - OOC: Congratulations, you got a good Flashpoint result! If you're planning - - on participating in either of the coded finale fight scenes (Ferdiad, on - - the 28th, or Scathach, on the 29th), you'll start the fight with +5 EN and - - +5 Morale. Please let me know before the fight starts! - +------------------------------< DIFFICULTY: - >-------------------------------+
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
The ice wall holds off the incoming Wanzers long enough for them to have to reconsider their approach - at which point Great Mazinger cuts through the frozen air moisture and proceeds to wreak havoc on their number. LiSA, still unused to intense endurance combat, is forced to fall back and Naoko slips in to cover for her, sacrificing advantage to protect the team. That leaves Sayaka and Gridman to carve their way into the Aquitaine's hold - at which point the Crucible deploys its own operatives to meet them.
Mazinger Z tracks the rise of the Byarlant into the air, Scrander Wings popping up. It's either going to flee, or rain hell on them, and he likes neither option in particular. "I'll engage the aerial target." IFF pings on his radar draw his attention. "Looks like we've got other NERV operatives incoming, too. Good. Maybe we can put these guys in the ground for good."