2022-08-28: Confrontation ~VICTOR~

• Log: 2022-08-28- Confrontation ~VICTOR~
• Cast: Riika Sheder, Ouka Nagisa, Nidaime, Garrod Ran, Alloy Kaas, Orpheus Zevon, Leina Ashta
• Where: Tsutsujidai
• OOC - IC Date: 0096-08-28
• Summary: Riika Sheder finds a kaiju on the hunt, deployed to deal with potential threats to her attack on the Deculture Festival. While it nearly kills her, it's fended off by assembled defenders. Occurs at the same time as 2022-08-28: Confrontation ~VANQUISHED~.

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<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Sunday afternoon, Tsutsujidai.

Across town, the GUTS festival is in full swing. Normally, school wouldn't be open -- but the Deculture Festival has kind of turned everything sideways a bit. Everyone is playing it by ear, and if that means having an event on a sleepy, comfy vacation Sunday, well: they're not gonna say no.

The sky is a comfy blue -- and the cloud cover as you ascend masks whatever else the universe might have to say about what Tsutsujidai is and how it works. For the moment: it's just a PLANT... and more importantly, its students get to just be kids.

There's been a real zest for the Deculture Festival among the students, too -- it's led to all kinds of talk among the student body about resurrecting a lot of previously cancelled events and programs.

And Akane Shinjo has promised to attack it.

Because they knew it was coming, the Gridman Alliance and their allies took the initiative. Deploying Gridman early triggered an evacuation, causing Akane to jump her own schedule and send out a kaiju. Ghoulghilas, but not as the others remember it, not quite - and herself, to speak where it cannot. Things are, at least in general outline, proceeding as the alliance had planned it. So far.

But that's there. Here things are a little different.

It started with a suspicious mist. Mist in and of itself isn't dangerous, but the weather and timing makes it suspicious - unusual events in Tsutsujidai are often dangerous events, as the place is so still and unchanging the rest of the time. And then the mist increased to the point nobody could see in, and that's when it went from 'suspicious' to 'a threat'. A second attack, at the same time as the first - but without her presence, and without Gridman to defend against it.

Things when hot when a building shattered, destroyed out of the mist by something unseen. If the mist wasn't attention-getting enough, *that* certainly was. With the incipient battle at the high school, Gridman is occupied.

The center of the fog is in a commercial area. A street of stores ranging from clothes stores to restaurants, ending at a parking lot outside a supermarket. Nothing is visible in the mist beyond very short distances, but every once in a while, there are sounds - crashes, shattering glass, breaking concrete and pavement. A little later, gunfire.

And then as others arrive, something comes flying out of the mist - a damaged GINN, thrown out violently by something inside. One of its legs has twisted all out of line, and one of its arms is half-ripped off, the MMI-M8A3 heavy machine gun favoured by ZAFT forces falling from its damaged arm as it lands on the street, skidding back and sending it clattering away.

"There's something in there!" the pilot, Riika Sheder, broadcasts on tinny loudspeaker. "I only went in to scout, and it didn't even show up on sensors." Her GINN starts to rise, but falls again because of the damaged leg - none of the joints or hydraulics are working well enough for her to operate. Instead it scrambles backwards on its functioning arm, grabbing the machine gun from where it fell.

She's not going to be much direct help fighting it, and she knows it, and she hates it, but: "It can't hide from everyone, can it...? I'll see if I can get some more powerful sensors online or figure out some way to locate it." The GINN scrambles back further, hopefully out of the line of fire. It's certainly out of the fog.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    Memories are a fragile thing.

    We like to believe ourselves contiguous beings, that even through sleep or drugged stupor when we awaken we once again are ourselves. What, though, would you say to a girl who upon waking finds her mind and memories reshaped anew? Told not that the GEIM System had induced a brief psychotic episode... but instead that some unknown alien entity had attacked her, caused the GEIM System to malfunction, and may have in fact been some secret weapon employed by the dastardly Celestial Being. What if the manipulations went deeper than that... what if, in fact, entire people could be erased from one's conscious recovery?

    Upon waking though, The First Boosted Child was as certain of her memory (as edited by Aguilla) as she was of the general shape and dimension of her physical form. She had been attacked, and due to said attack she was put under observation to ensure there was no lasting corruption or damage. She has come to understand that the GEIM System development and Boosted Child program itself has been put on a brief hiatus for administrative review. This was fine, within expectations even given the possibility perhaps that Celestial Being was trying to find a way to utilize a vulnerability in her conditioning and turn her against her fellows. Certainly Colonel Kushrenada's insistence for an audit was based on that concern and not any other sort of concern with her or the program which she is a part of...

    ... so for present, Ouka and Seolla are largely serving only in their role as NERV auxiliaries. In fact, even more than that, they are serving in their role as students on Summer break. Ouka isn't able to participate in as many festivities as the other students due to her ongoing observation. However she has recently been given the green light to return to normal activities.

    And not a moment too soon.

    When the alert comes through the NERV channels on her communicator, she quickly moves to scramble. Donning the flight suit and pressurized helmet for piloting the Nightmare Plus, she boards one of the craft. <2nd Lieutenant Aurum-1 reporting. Received an emergency priority signal within the plant hosting the Tsutsujidai GUTS festival. Requesting emergency deployment authorization to respond.>

    ... Several Minutes Later...

    A VF-171 Nightmare Plus utilizing NERV IFF signatures arrives within the the walled garden now housing Tsutsujidai in 'real' space. For now she flies overhead observing the fog obscuring the commercial area. The fog seems to confound both her eyes and her unit's sensors. She decides to come in closer before shifting her unit into its Battleroid format and landing hard, sparks flying behind it as it grinds to a stop.

    'There's something in there!'

    Ouka's ears pick up the voice from the tinny loudspeaker. Her machine raises its gunpod in preparation. Over the loudspeaker, she speaks up, "Are you with local defense forces? NERV Auxiliary, 2nd Lieutenant Aurum-1. I have come responding to a distress signal. Do you have a visual? Please provide targeting and location data."

KTS: Ouka Nagisa has deployed in VF-171 Nightmare Plus <Battroid Mode>.

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime's plan was to defend the GUTS festival but she does have a keen set of nostrils and that, combined with reasonable faith in Gridman, means that she has reason to be across town as she sniffs out another kaiju. Daddy sniffs it out too.

Thoomp thoomp thoomp. Heavy kaiju footsteps are approaching Riika and her shattered mech through the fog. Thoomp thoomp thoomp.

And then a turtle head pokes its head out through the fog and the eyes slant down towards Riika.

"GRONK!!!!" Anosillus the First roars in challenge. Probably not challenging Riika, but it is a bit hard to read.

On Anosillus's back is...!

Nidaime! She is eating some snacks from the festival still since she came here in a hurry. She hopes Leina is ok since she had to leave in a hurry.

THEN AGAIN--MAYBE LEINA...IS HERE!!!

Anosillus rears back with his head and lets out a roar, wholly intent on dissoluting the mist in front of him. The power of 'song' resists the fog of Tsutsujidai even if, in this particular case, it's Turtle Song rather than a bop you can get butt fever from.

"Hi Riika...!" Nidaime says, looking around for...someone?!?

KTS: Nidaime has deployed in Anosillus the First.

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

By all rights, Garrod Ran really *should* be in school himself. He's of an age for it, and he knows there are things he could probably stand to learn better than he already knows - sure, he's literate enough to get by and he can do a reasonable amount of math, but there's a lot he doesn't know, too. Mostly he doesn't see why he should sit in a classroom with other kids when there are more important things to do.

But given a chance to mingle at one school festival or another? Sure, why not, he can blend in decently for a little while. Just don't try to drag him into much of a conversation; he's lousy at socializing. And besides, he has more important things to do - both generally speaking and, in this case, specific tasks that he's committed to. So he can't spend too much time taking in the sights, the attractions, or the food stalls. Long-honed paranoia has him staying relatively close to where the GX-9900 has been stashed, and when the fog starts getting seriously thick, getting back to the cockpit starts feeling like a really, really good idea to the green-haired teenager.

As Garrod slaps the G-Controller into its interface socket and powers up his Gundam, he also finds himself remembering the last time he was in Tsutsujidai *without* his mobile suit. Hopefully this is going to be a little less creepy - but even if the biggest gun is the worst option for this fight, at least he actually has the Gundam X for this fight. "All right, where are you hiding ... ?" he mutters as the GX's sensors come up; radar isn't revealing anything yet, and while he thinks sonar might do some good, the GX doesn't even have that.

Rin Starking teleports in.

<Pose Tracker> Alloy Kaas has posed.

        Only moments had passed, since the rocking of buildings as the shuddered under concealed forces that demolished them began. However certain individuals in the area had been on alert status, a declaration of war had been made after all.

        Alloy was one of these individuals, and the sequence to sync with her Evandelion unit was begun from the first alarm. Alloy settles into the seat in her plug, tensing around the hand controls, and responding to the checklist. At the same time the interior floods with images and a kaleidoscope of colors and rainbows.

        The sync completes and Alloy is in full control of her unit. Her final thought before first ste is, I hope the controls are calibrated. The muscular organic fibers of the Evangelions bodies, can outperform the mobile suits in raw kinetic terms, which translates to, more difficult to control in low-g environments.

        A message comes in from Riika, and then from Aurum-1. A quick movement of fingers along the control sticks inner keys, and Alloy is able to bring up the tactical information for the area reported.

        "Evangelion Unit Null-Sigma, Responding to report."

        As Alloy tries to manage her movement in the specialized environment, the feeling nags at her, She has forgotten, something. The same feeling since she woke up on the Nadesico. They said everything scans as normal... Alloy shakes her head, "Focus" she thinks to herself. She arrives to find Riika and, Nidaime?

        "Are you both alright?!"

        As with her launch, Alloy's voice is pretty flat and clinical. Not new, but, a recent redevelopment.

        Alloy tries to make sure Riika is safe, and protected from where she is, shielding the wreckage and Riika hersef.

KTS: Alloy Kaas has deployed in Evangelion Unit-Null-Sigma.
Lina Lombardi teleports in.
POT: Lina Lombardi is now set observer.

KTS: Garrod Ran has deployed in GX-9900 Gundam X.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

For most, arriving into Tsutsujidai was not much of a hassle. Everyone was on the same page with the Gridman Alliance and Logistics was simple enough to bring in their machines to the designated locations.

Though. . .When you're pretending to be a NERV agent, and you really aren't, how does one go about such a thing? The answer was, you had to be very good at convincing people you are who you say you are. . .And make sure no one's looking under the hood.

For Oz, that involves a bit of internal assistance from Alouette. Making sure that she was able to assure that no one is investigating into any additional support units for inspections or otherwise. Ultimately though, being able to take his unit of choice with his KMF would provide dividends. At least that's what he believed in the days prior when they first arrived.

Cutting back to the day of the festival, the plan was in action and as it was. . .Tetsuya was discontent.

"Tch. . "

The point of arriving here was to get in contact with Akane Shinjo herself. . .If Alouette and I are on this side. . . There'd be no way for them to investigate further into that. But the die was cast and so. . .

A KMF arrived as soon as the alert came out, a unit veiled up for the most part in cloth which was rather unusual for Knightmare Frames, or any sort of machine to have. Though as it was, it was what appeared to be a stylistic approach perhaps?

<Support Unit, responding. I'll try to do some scanning of the mist as well, try to keep within minimal range of one another for immediate response should-->

And it already seemed things were going to begin. The KMF was already starting to traverse the building as it attempted to get to the highest point it could, before attempting to get a sniper's view of the area and a wider field of vision of all the others present. It had already been clear Riika had been caught off guard by whatever attacked them, though the next person it attacked, this thing would find it'd be quickly catching return fire. . .

Come on out and let me sink my fangs into you. . .

KTS: Orpheus Zevon has deployed in Type-01/C Byakuen.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"No, I *don't* have a visual," Riika responds to Ouka. She recognizes Ouka's voice, remembering her from the meeting, and she's not real happy about dealing with a G-Hound member, hunting hounds of the Federation. But if she's broadcasting NERV... "I'm Riika, remember? But I didn't see it, just its tendrils. It grabs." That explains the state of the GINN's leg and arm. "It's way bigger than it should be, for something hiding in fog... you should be able to see it over the buildings. - Nidaime? Why do you have - no, never mind! I'll pull back, I won't be much use in this damaged machine. At least a little." That as much to reassure Alloy as anything else.

The fog is thick, and the bank is increasingly huge. It feels like the whole area around here is being covered - smothered, really - in fog, clouds of misty grey that obscure everything.

And indeed the fog is spreading. As more units appear, the fog spreads to cover them, expanding outwards and upwards. It's like standing inside a cloud, everything outside one's unit little more than silhouettes -

Until Anosillus roars.

The clouds disperse, a little. It's not clear, precisely, but it's at least possible to see each other - and the silhouette of something enormously tall, probably seventy meters or so, walking on two broad legs, spiky all over. Its enormous row of teeth, set very low on its body, gap open in a just-visible grin.

From the nodes on its sides emit a trio of yellow-glowing whip-like tentacles which snap out. One lashes at Anosillus to try to squeeze his mouth shut, preventing a second roar; a second at Alloy's Evangelion, a large threatening object standing between it and what it was trying to kill a few moments ago; a third, at Orpheus in a great sweep

For the rest, there is only the fog, which is threatening to thicken around them again.

KTS: Riika Sheder has deployed in Gonglee (Revival).
KTS: Riika Sheder has changed loadout.
KTS: Riika_Sheder has deployed as a Boss for 5 opponents.
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Nidaime with Tentacle Strangle!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Alloy Kaas with Tentacle Strike!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Orpheus Zevon with Tentacle Slap!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Garrod Ran with Jam!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Ouka Nagisa with Jam!
KTS: Riika Sheder jams Ouka Nagisa's sensors, reducing her accuracy.
KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Alloy Kaas has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Orpheus Zevon successfully evades Riika Sheder's Tentacle Slap

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina's running full sprint across the Commercial District, the sounds of Mecha Ghoulgilas still within her ears.

With the campus evacuated, she had every intention of getting to someplace safe as soon as possible, and in the rush she'd been separated too far from Ramos and Ako - but she's not especially worried. Ramos will take care of it, she had full faith in her.

One of those safer office buildings with a good basement just happened to be in the commercial district, and this was where she was heading.

It's only when she starts having a bad feelings that she found herself surrounded in Mist. The sudden sounds of crashing and breaking weren't helping, as Leina found herself yelping and getting down low, crawling beneath a bench as she gets her cell phone out, trying to work it to figure out where she is. "Come on... c-come on..."

Unfortunately, here in Tsutsujidai, she had no backup, no way to contact the outside world. She couldn't even call for Judau or Sayla across the psychic layer of existence if she tried.

And that's when a GINN crashes nearby not too far away, and she shrieks, as she huddles down. Her cell phone is useless... except, she realizes, not quite.

As there's someone she could contact after all. She turns the volume down, and puts on Sheryl Nome's Lion, at the lowest possible, and hums along, speaking the lyrics subvocally at a sotto voce. "I want to survive... I want to live..."

And just hopes, that somewhere out there, a little Kaiju is listening. Because otherwise, in this thick mist? She truly is alone.

A very familiar 'GRONK' floods her with relief, as now she has a presence to latch onto as she starts to run out of cover and calls out in that direction, "Nidaime! Anosillus! Help!"

The music softly plays, so she just hopes that between that and her calling out, it's enough for them to find her, and she them...

...before whatever is in the mist finds her. Because as it parts a little, and she catches the silhouette out of her periphery, she pushes herself to run even faster.

KTS: Leina Ashta has deployed as a Sub Pilot for Nidaime!
KTS: Riika Sheder jams Garrod Ran's sensors, reducing his accuracy.
KTS: Riika Sheder anchors Nidaime, forcing her into close range.
KTS: Nidaime fails to parry Riika Sheder's Tentacle Strangle, taking 3840 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Nidaime!
KTS: Alloy Kaas blocks Riika Sheder's Tentacle Strike, taking 2460 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Alloy Kaas!

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

"Great," mutters Garrod as he catches a working glimpse of the kaiju's outline. It's ugly enough in silhouette, but he does still catch sight of the teeth at the bottom and the tentacles along its upper sides; And while the familiar basso of Anosillus's roar does thin the mist out, the fog thickens again too quickly to really capitalize on it.

With severe misgivings, Garrod shifts his Gundam into motion, readying the shield buster rifle. He'd much prefer to hang back - hopefully out of tentacle range - and plink away at the monster, but it's already clear, even if this isn't the kaiju that's going to attack the *other* school festival, that his allies-of-the-moment need help. Especially the turtle, who's shown up often enough against other kaiju for Garrod to consider Anosillus a steadfast ally. The little(?) girl who rides around on the turtle's shell so often, too, for that matter.

Rather than unleashing a full bombardment, Garrod conserves his firepower, just taking a shot when he's *pretty* sure it's going to hit the right target. He's being almost unusually cautious and cagey this time out - maybe he's thinking more about the risks of collateral damage, or something.

It couldn't just be perfectly normal and predictable terror. Right?

KTS: Garrod Ran targets Riika Sheder with Buster Rifle - Snipe!
KTS: Riika Sheder charges into the attack!
KTS: Riika Sheder partially guards Garrod Ran's Buster Rifle - Snipe, taking 3444 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime is confused, "Hm? Oh I rushed over here." She bobs her head. "Okay, okay! The important thing is that you are okay!"

The fog is spreading, even through Anosillus's roar. "Ah...!" Nidaime says. "It's because there's a kaiju that's the source!" She thinks for a moment. "Perhaps... Akane sent this out to obscure what's going on from the rest of the world?" It feels a little LATE for that but old habits do die hard. "Did you see it?"

Leina calls out for help. Nidaime and Anosillus are both distracted and in that moment... TENTACLES!

"Ah...! Alouette?" Nidaime asks as Anosillus's mouth is CLAMPED SHUT. It tries to roar again and it comes out like

"MRGHHKKK."

"Gosh...it's a smart one..." But she slides down the back of Anosillus, and looks to Leina! "Ahh! Leina!! What are you doing here? Ahh!! Please be careful!!" Nidaime pauses and adds, "I have an idea...! You can ride with me! Or--we can try and keep us interposed between you and the kaiju?"

Anosillus wiggles his head rapidly.before pulling into his shell, trying to drag the tentacle with it and spin around rapidly in shell form.

""I'm okay Alouette!" Nidaime doesn't know the nickname yet!! "Um please be careful, my sister's here!!"

KTS: Nidaime has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Alloy Kaas
KTS: Nidaime: Will Barrier Activates.
KTS: Nidaime targets Riika Sheder with Shell Shock!

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

As the fog continues to wash over the area, concealment becomes less of an issue for the Byakuen. For Oz this was almost a blessing in disguise.

Seems like this worked out better than I thought. Still. . .

The fog was already getting dense, and he wasn't even in the thickest part of it. If it continued like this more than certain they'd become consumed in this all encompassing fog. And if that was the case. . .They'd surely become easy pickings for this thing.

Though just as the fog comes, it disperses with a roar and the vaguest showing of its silhouette appears and well. . .

<Target confirmed. . .Preparing support fir-->

Before Oz can continue, he finds that one of those whips has spotted him on the building tops. Thankfully, the Byakuen was a considerably smaller target than most other units that were about. Its mobility quickly on display, even if its exterior armor wasn't with the cloak around it kept it somewhat concealed. Using the KMF's Slash Harken it was quick to traverse off the building top and escape to the next. Its arm folded back to expose what appeared like a cannon as he locked on to the Kaiju.

"Let's see how durable these tentacles are to retaliation. . ." Several explosive cartridges were loaded in, and without any warning to allies he fires its shots at the Gonglee where the tentacles appeared to appear from. With how the fog was forming, the window of opportunity to get an effective hit in was going to be vital for certain.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    'I'm Riika, remember?'

    Ouka does remember Riika - she was there at the meeting hosted by the Gridman Alliance and NERV to discuss the change of situation with Tsutsujidai, and specifically to discuss the 'God' Shinjo and the mysterious 'Devil'. She recalls her being assigned to the 'Shinjo' column, those who agreed to pursue Akane and see if they could reach her with an outstretched hand instead of a clenched. Based on the current situation... the yielded fruit is bitter indeed.

    "Affirmative." Is the Boosted Child's short response. She wants to explain further... how the loudspeaker altered the timbre of her voice and, in fact, she did not recognize her at first. However given the situation she is relying on all her senses to try and detect the mysterious assailant in the fog. Then there it is - an enormous silhouette, a mouth full of too-shiny teeth, and then an array of whip-like tentacles lashing out at several of those gathered to oppose it.

    Meanwhile within the Nightmare Plus's cockpit, Ouka narrows her eyes. "Unable to get a clear target resolution..." The unit lowers its gunpod. At about that moment she notices a smaller figure, Leina, sprinting out of the mist and in a full sprint towards Anosillus. She just barely picks up her voice crying for help from Nidaime and Anosillus.

    "Civilian in the combat zone!" Ouka's voice is heard over the loudspeaker, and her Battroid sprints on a perpendicular course to attempt to arrive between the kaiju and the fleeing Leina. Unable to risk firing her gun or missiles while unable to achieve a clear target resolution, she instead focuses focuses her pinpoint barrier to create an energy field around her machine's right arm. The Nightmare Plus forms that hand into a flat, knife-shape before attempting to drive it directly into the tentacle grasping the large turtle kaiju: Hoping to simultaneously free Nidaime and her father, while also presenting herself as a target instead of Leina.

KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa targets Riika Sheder with Pinpoint Barrier Melee Piercing Strike!
KTS: Orpheus Zevon targets Riika Sheder with Precision Shot: 70mm Liquid Sakuradite Explosive Cartridge!
KTS: Riika Sheder parries Ouka Nagisa's Pinpoint Barrier Melee Piercing Strike, taking 1290 damage!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has engaged Riika Sheder!
KTS: Orpheus Zevon rattles Riika Sheder, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Riika Sheder fails to react to Orpheus Zevon's Precision Shot: 70mm Liquid Sakuradite Explosive Cartridge, taking
5640 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Disabling Strike activates, causing Jam L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Riika Sheder fails to react to Nidaime's Shell Shock, taking 4620 damage!
KTS: Nidaime has engaged Riika Sheder!
KTS: Alloy Kaas: Will Barrier Activates.
KTS: Alloy Kaas targets Riika Sheder with Bloodboiling Pressure!

<Pose Tracker> Alloy Kaas has posed.

        It catches her a bit by surprise, Nidaime calling out caution because her sister was in the area. But Alouette "Alloy" won't linger on it.

        "Understood. New variables have been updated. Downed Pilot has made Egress. Beginning Attack."

        The same flatness remains in her voice, and her comms are kept short, clinically concise.

        Alouette, Alloy, makes an adiitional check for the Low-G adjustsments, and begins a charge to engage the Kaiju.

        Elsewhere and her extra limb are a great advantage. But moving in low-G and they are a huge strain on her nueral load as they complicate the self balancing ability of the brain.

        "Null Sigma Engaging."

        Evangelion Unit Null-Sigma in it's deep ocean blue and bright orange, has no need to engage octo-camo in this mess of smog. It's height being a match for the Kaiju, is one boon to be sure. Afterall, having a target to fix on, sure makes it easier to land attacks.

        Alouette doesn't get to set the stage, the Kaiju finds her first with one of it's one tentacles striking out like a spear. It cuts between the left arm and the chest, dragging along the armor. It crushes, more than it cuts, and would break a rib if the EVangelions weren't the monsterous creatures they are. It's enough to knock Alloy off balance too and she crushes an arm through a building trying to catch herself.

        "Tango Team and all units engaging within the city, I am broadcasting my targeting data within local area. It should help you track and target the enemy."

        Alloy cuts the comms as she tucks a shoulder, before bringing a left hook that follows with three fists, turns and brings three more elbows and three backfists, the sharp interlinks of the tentacles raking against the monster.

KTS: Riika Sheder fails to Parry Alloy Kaas's Bloodboiling Pressure, taking 4650 damage!
KTS: Alloy Kaas has engaged Riika Sheder!
KTS: Alloy Kaas: Will Barrier Activates.
KTS: Alloy Kaas begins a Formation attack!

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

Riika doesn't quite run, but she does pull her GINN back... a little bit. Enough to get out of the worst of the fog; not further, because she's not willing to get out with that *thing* around, but she probably won't be a primary target.

She hopes. She has an idea and she can't do it from there.

As for Gonglee...

This isn't the first time Gonglee has appeared. Nor the second. The second was when it tried to kill Shiro Kabuto; the first is when it attacked Sheryl Nome's concert. Both times it was a vicious fighter, and this time appears to be no different.

Once it's grabbed Anosillus, it yanks, trying to pull him off-balance. This works a little bit - briefly - until Anosillus retracts head and limbs, and Gonglee has to let go immediately; instead it tries to slap the spinning Anosillus away from it and fails, pulled forward with enough force to stagger before it lets go. Apparently frustrated, it strikes wildly with the tentacle, slapping Anosillus downward.

It's the same tentacle that Ouka attacks. Flailing as it is, it does not make a great target; it slaps the fist, and where it failed to catch Anosillus it does manage it on the much smaller Battroid. Given the size of the tentacle it had to use to try to hold Anosillus, it threatens to bowl over the Valkyrie more than just deflect it.

Mercifully, it does not seem to see Leina, or if it does, it seems to be too busy to care about her.

Garrod has a relatively clear shot, and takes it. The beam connects, drilling into the side of Gonglee as it lashes back in the same direction. Either by chance or intention, it connects with a vehicle first, and so Garrod has two things coming at him: a small van and Gonglee's yellow-shining tentacle.

Orpheus sees one too - a clear shot straight at the kaiju's main body. The explosive cartridge hits it in the 'face', just above the toothy mouth, and that gets a full-on roar in pain and frustration. The tentacle that just swept past Ouka comes at him, lashing him - unless he gets out of the way - directly at a tall building, hard enough that being embedded in it is a risk.

It is momentarily distracted when Alloy comes in - and has most of its tentacles busy, which is just as relevant. It tries to lash out at her, but she charges in recklessly, pummeling it with her strange Evangelion. If it was rocked back a little before, it's more intense now, 'staggering' backwards as much as anything with its body plan can. Its response is to try to crush her right back, lurching into Null-Sigma in a body blow before wrapping with multiple tentacles, crushing before it tries to fling the Evangelion away from itself.

KTS: Riika Sheder has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Riika Sheder has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Garrod Ran with Collateral Damage Topple Strike!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Ouka Nagisa with Tentacle Shove!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Nidaime with Tentacle Slap!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Orpheus Zevon with Tentacle Beatdown!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Alloy Kaas with Tentacle Crush!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa rushes into the attack!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa partially guards Riika Sheder's Tentacle Shove, taking 4200 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder repulses Ouka Nagisa, forcing her to disengage.
KTS: Alloy Kaas fails to react to Riika Sheder's Tentacle Crush, taking 5500 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Alloy Kaas!
KTS: Orpheus Zevon successfully evades Riika Sheder's Tentacle Beatdown
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Attune Spirit Command targeting Nidaime
KTS: Riika Sheder rattles Garrod Ran, making his next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Garrod Ran partially guards Riika Sheder's Collateral Damage Topple Strike, taking 5640 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Garrod Ran!
KTS: Nidaime's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Nidaime blocks Riika Sheder's Tentacle Slap, taking 1950 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Nidaime!

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    Fortunately, Ouka does manage to hit the tentacle. Unfortunately... it is at best a glancing blow and it quickly results in the much larger tentacle sweeping back at her to knock her backwards. The sheer force of the impact and resulting inertia is enough to send her unit rolling out of melee engagement range! But rather than attempting to simply recover from the intertia and g-forces acting upon her, the Boosted Child fires her vernier thrusters to counter-act and over come them.

    The end result is unpleasant. The sudden change in acceleration and direction causes the blood pressure to dip as she begins to experience a backout. Thanks to her body's physiological augmentations and conditioning though her body responds rapidly to correct this, constricting her veins to maintain blood pressure as her heart to push harder against the forces of gravity. By the time she has reached a firing position her vision has once again cleared and for the first time she is able to make out a clear firing resolution despite the continued impact of the strange fog!

    "Target pinpointed. Taking the shot." Still concerned with the accuracy of her targeting resolution with a civilian on the field though she decides not to utilize some of her more powerful weapons, much less her micro missile array, and instead utilized a mounted secondary beam weapon system. She allows the Erikon Beam Cannon capacitors to warm up a bit more while lining up the shot. For the first time she sees the strange cyclopic 'eye' of the beast, sitting far atop its body and away from its mouth. It reminds her somewhat of the 'core' present on an Angel's body.

        ... in the last moment, Ouka pulls back on the throttle and the control stick, pitching her Battroid up to aim its mounted beam cannons directly at the 'eye'. The beam cannons ignite, sending a pair of bright blue beams lancing toward their target!!

KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa targets Riika Sheder with Erikon Beam Cannons Shot!

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

'Civilian in the combat zone!' She hears over the loudspeaker from the Nightmare Plus as it interposes itself. "Sorry! Sorry!" As she ducks her head to try and make herself as small a target as possible.

She keeps running right up to to the part of Anosillus that Nidaime's sliding down, as she hears a proposition. On the back of a Kaiju - or on the ground, where a Kaiju is in the mist, and there are tentacles.

Breathlessly Leina squeaks out what she immediately feels is the safest option, "I think I'll ride if that's alright with you and Anopapa! Thanks!"

And hastily she runs up to her, reaching out a hand for Nidaime to take her hand. She's pretty athletic, but she doesn't actually know the protocol for someone riding on Anosillus, so even in her panic, she's leaving it to Nidaime to get her up there rather than climbing of her own accord.

Once she is up though, she gives Nidaime the biggest hug. In the heat of battle it can't last especially long. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She says in just this display of abject relief as she embraces Nidaime. Once she releases, she looks at the Nightmare Plus and actually waving. "Thank you too - for looking out for me!" Even if she doesn't hear it, she perhaps might feel this warm and fuzzy sensation of gratitude from the direction.

Once she's alighted properly and is stable, clinging onto the turtle Kaiju for dear life she puts a hand down to the shell, she focuses on the way they connected before when Nidaime introduced them.

Stay calm. It's difficult for me to sense where they are. When they're coming, I'll warn you.

The moment that white hot sensation of a Newtype flash bolts across her senses, "Now!" Whether that insight helps or not - at least, he'll know it's coming at that exact moment.

KTS: Leina Ashta targets Nidaime and Ouka Nagisa with Awe.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Nidaime
KTS: Leina Ashta inspires awe, increasing Nidaime's Morale!
KTS: Leina Ashta inspires awe, increasing Ouka Nagisa's Morale!
KTS: Riika Sheder blocks Ouka Nagisa's Erikon Beam Cannons Shot, taking 2800 damage!

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime nods once to Leina Ashta. "Okay!" She'd rather Leina be nearby too where she can see her.

She takes Leina's hand--

--and then pulls her into a princess carry. "Hup...!"

And then she hops right on straight up to on top of Anosillus. It looks a little fake and you probably can see the wire but it gets the job done.

She sets Leina down when they're both on the back. She gets a brief hug, which is ALL THE PAYMENT SHE NEEDS. Well, that and Leina surviving today without any injuries. That's also important.

Leina 'speaks' to Anosillus. She can feel the worry for Leina's wellbeing along with the joy of seeing her (for the moment) safe. There's plenty of worry towards Nidaime too that never seems to entirely fade. A bit of weariness. There's always another kaiju to fight. He's an old hand at this by now.

"GRrrrrmpp...." Anosillus remarks. Through their connection, she can hear his thoughts coalesce into words.

I will protect you. Be safe, dear child...

Ouka calls out about a civilian--and even lends a hand! Ouka, Nidaime decides, is a good person who cares about others. Nidaime waves to her NIGHTMARE PLUS with a big smile.

The back of Anosillus's shell is no longer really an applicable assaulting mechanism since he has to keep it safe. More tentacles lash out, beating across Anosillus's face and chest. He endures this and growls softly, but with Leina's guidance--a tentacle goes in and Anosillus opens his mouth and--

--CHOMP!!!

There's no teeth, but there is a crushing turtle beak that's plenty sharp on its own. "Grhrrrrrrk...."

KTS: Nidaime targets Riika Sheder with SHARP!
KTS: Riika Sheder parries Nidaime's SHARP, taking 1440 damage!
KTS: Nidaime has engaged Riika Sheder!
KTS: Nidaime completes the Formation attack!

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

The Byakuen's explosive round apparently hits even through the heft of the fog. The Gonglee's roar is a clear sign of it apparently being an effective attack. The shell of the shot pops out from the cannon as a new round is prepared.

"Looks like this thing's not big enough to take shots like those lying down."

The hope of that strike had simply been to provide cover fire. Allow for those like Alouette, Ouka, The turtle team, or the Gundam the time they needed to get solid hits in and it seemed like for the most part that'd be the case. That said. . .There was still one problem.

<Null-Sigma, data's been acquired. Sending data on confirmed shots several meters above the oral cavity. Seeming affective, but no way to assure it's best line of attack.>

The group hadn't found a weak point on this thing as of yet, and that was. . .Troubling. And even more so. . .

Civilians too? I guess they didn't evacuate as much as they thought they had.

Oz hadn't been too worried, his Byakuen was one of the smaller machines so any of his shots he assumed would be less hazardous compared to others being thrown around. The only thing he needed to be worried about was. . .

The Gonglee lashes out in retaliation and more force than ever is sent his way. It made sense considering just how much it made this thing cry out. Still, the whipping tentacle comes and Oz finds himself able to dodge at the very last moment, the Byakuen's body trimmed by the tentacle that is just a few centimeters closer and the thing would have very well sent the smaller machine flying. Within the cockpit there's a small sigh of relief.

"Seems like the low-gravity isn't affecting the Byakuen's performance as much as I thought. Rakshata will be pleased with herself. . ."

The question now was, what was the best counter attack? The last attack had been rather effective with the explosive cartridge, but the more liability that could cause to the surrounding areas. Even if his attacks could be considered the least harmful, just one wrong move, one missed shot in the miss and. . .

The cannon folded back into the Bykauen's arm as a pair of blades locked together into a dual-bladed component. What was about to follow would be much more dangerous for him, but. . .

<Null-Sigma, following your path to initiate direct combat. Watch where you step. . .>

With the warning sent out, the KMF begins diverging from its high-ground advantage and begins running through the streets of Tsutsujidai. Traveling deeper into the core of the fog taking only Alouette's data as reference. Using a slash harken the KMF attempted to latch into the beast and ride up it's body. The entire time in doing so, a blade attempted to pierce deeply into it, as it ran through. Literally riding up the creature while attempting to create an intense gash as he did so.

KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Orpheus Zevon targets Riika Sheder with I'll Tear Through!' Combined Blade Component!
KTS: Riika Sheder fails to Parry Orpheus Zevon's I'll Tear Through!' Combined Blade Component, taking 6710 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Disabling Strike activates, causing Jam L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Orpheus Zevon has engaged Riika Sheder!

<Pose Tracker> Alloy Kaas has posed.

        Unit Null-Sigma lands both the hit and the follow through, but Alouette has placed herself to close to the Kaiju, and it lets her know it with a body blow that lands without a pause. Alouette is rattled inside the plug, even through the dampening effects of the LCL. Screens lose signal and connections are disrupted as the Evangellion is momentarily concussed.

        The pilot and unit have had no time to recover when they are grappled tightly with the tentacles. The creature delivers a weird mirror mirror feeling crushing attack. The earsplitting sound of the armor, and maybe bones shearing and cracking before the Eva is tossed afield. Alarms blare before, and more sound after Null-Sigma hits the floor/ground of the city. with a ground shaking T H O O O M.

        Alouette in her plug, her right arm is clutching her left side, fractured ribs, maybe a collapsed lung. Each breath is pained, and vision in her right eye is red. Maybe she is bleeding, maybe she just burst vessels in her eye. It doesn't matter. She begins working controls, one handed, then two as she pulls it away from her injury to increase efficiency. It hurts but...

        Null-Sigma comes back online, and begins to pick itself off the ground. thankfully there are a few extra hands, heh, to help itself upright. Alouette completes the system reroutes, the sync check, and moves forward once again.

        "Null-Sigma. Sustained moderate damage. Tango Team, local units, report. If you see a weakness, call it in. I am re-engaing target, vector approach from the north east."

        Alouette brings her Eva unit at the best speed fo the Low-G environmentshe can manage, and bring her Eva to come up from behind where she remembered the Kaiju being. She's trying to come up from a blind spot this time.

        When she can see it, it's shape beginning to emerge from the mist, Alouette adjusts her approach angle to stay in that blind spot.

        "Copy that support. Tango Team, Local Units, this is Null-Sigma. On my mark will attempt to reengage, aiming to commit Forcible restraint on Tango, Primary "Tail" Secondary "Neck". Mark!"

        Alloy on her mark commences the operation she attempted to obfuscate over open comms. With her Eva and its tentacles, she makes an attempt to attack the neck, and restrain the tail.

KTS: Alloy Kaas has activated the Spirit Spirit Command.
KTS: Alloy Kaas targets Riika Sheder with Spines of Raking!
KTS: Riika Sheder partially guards Alloy Kaas's Spines of Raking, taking 5225 damage!
KTS: Alloy Kaas has engaged Riika Sheder!

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

"WHOA!!" yelps Garrod, breaking his (for him) focusd silence as the kaiju doubles up on coming after *him*, flinging a vehicle and following it with a grappling tentacle. The best Garrod can do quickly is to interpose the shield part of his rifle, trying to blunt the incoming attack(s); the shield does nothing to keep Gonglee from grappling the Gundam X, though, and a moment later, Garrod finds his mobile suit close enough that ranged combat would be a lot easier, if he had enough room to bring the rifle to bear again.

Fortunately, the mobile suit has more than one weapon to work with. Garrod manages to transfer the rifle from his Gundam's right hand to its left - better, at least in his head, for defensive use - and reaches up and back, over the GX's shoulder, to where the beam saber is housed. "Fine, you want up close and personal --"

The hilt is pulled free; the beam saber's blade flares into existence as soon as it's not pointing down the back of its stowed main cannon, and Garrod doesn't even maneuver for a different angle before the beam saber comes slashing straight down at the tentacular kaiju.

The *biggest* gun carried by the Gundam may be contraindicated by just about every parameter of the fight - but that doesn't mean Garrod's going to hold back with the *rest* of what he's got to work with, now that the battle is well and truly joined.

KTS: Garrod Ran targets Riika Sheder with Beam Saber - Slash!
KTS: Riika Sheder parries Garrod Ran's Beam Saber - Slash, taking 1050 damage!
KTS: Garrod Ran has engaged Riika Sheder!
KTS: Riika Sheder has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Riika Sheder has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Riika Sheder has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Riika Sheder has activated the Valor Spirit Command.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"Thanks for coming," Riika says to Nidaime, "but I didn't know you had - uh, you rode - I thought you only hitched rides," she admits. "As for the rest of you, thank you too! I couldn't handle this alone."

Gonglee seems to notice Leina - too late to do much about it, though she does have the decidedly *unpleasant* sensation of a tentacle whipped in her direction. It doesn't connect, being pulled up suddenly as Ouka takes aim and Gonglee needs its tentacles for other purposes.

'Taking the shot'.

The shot comes in, and Gonglee wraps its tentacles around itself, showing more of a survival instinct than these artificial Tsutsujidai kaiju often do. It seems to help; the blast impacts it, and though it's still enough to blast past its protection, it's not as effective as it would have been without that buffer.

It uncoils a moment later, and if a kaiju that doesn't really have eyes can glare, it is doing just that. Flailing out in all directions, it catches Garrod's saber and Anosillus' beak, holding both away from the central body of the kaiju - but not without harm, as they both tear into the tentacles, causing it to flinch back and away.

And that leaves it open for the next attack.

The Byakuen is tiny. It *has* to climb to attack anything on the central body besides the legs, and the slash harken is perfect for that job; catching on one of Gonglee's spur-like spikes, Orpheus can ride almost straight up the central body along the red line, leaving a slash in its wake and drawing another roar from the machine. It can't find a good way to immediately get him off, and thrashes -

Alloy comes up behind it. She strikes at the neck, and something strange happens: the back of the 'head' opens as if its ridged horn, or spike, was a set of jaws, and the thickest of the tentacles erupts from it. Red at the base, yellow any further up, it is not only the largest of the tentacles but the strongest, literally trying to wrap around the Evangelion, heft it, and slam it into one building and then another.

The other tentacles go wild. Orpheus has to deal with one scraping across Gonglee's body as the other 'horns' also open and close, spasming to try to knock him off, before one of the heavy legs of Gonglee comes down in a crushing blow.

Slightly more distant, Garrod and Anosillus have sweeping blows, the tentacles stretching to what appears to be (but may not be, given what it's done in the past) their full length and lashing, before both come together to simultaneously (or nearly so) strike Ouka.

And then the mist intensifies, getting worse, darkening the light -

From a distance, a dull *foomp* sounds, one-two-three times, and a trio of grenades cascade around Gonglee. Two of them go up in sudden flashes, burning away some of the mist, and the third burns bright like a flare. It won't last long (Gonglee smashes it pretty quickly) but it does make its attempt to hide a little slower. Slow enough to take advantage of.

Riika makes the GINN perform a thumbs-up as she lowers the gun-mounted grenade launcher, having shot the only thing she felt comfortable firing anywhere near a crowd.

KTS: Riika Sheder targets Orpheus Zevon with Tentacle Crush!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Alloy Kaas with Collateral Damage Revenge Strike!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Nidaime with Tentacle Strike!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Garrod Ran with Tentacle Strike!
KTS: Riika Sheder targets Ouka Nagisa with Tentacle Assault!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa fails to parry Riika Sheder's Tentacle Assault, taking 4140 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Ouka Nagisa!
KTS: Nidaime has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Leina Ashta
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Foresee Spirit Command targeting Nidaime
KTS: [Lucky] Riika Sheder's Ace Maneuver activates, and luck goes her way!
KTS: Orpheus Zevon fails to parry Riika Sheder's Tentacle Crush, taking 6600 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Orpheus Zevon!
KTS: Garrod Ran fails to Parry Riika Sheder's Tentacle Strike, taking 3690 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Garrod Ran!
KTS: Alloy Kaas fails to react to Riika Sheder's Collateral Damage Revenge Strike, taking 7200 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Alloy Kaas!
KTS: Riika Sheder roots her unit, coming to a standstill and leaving her vulnerable.
KTS: Nidaime's Will Barrier activates, negating 1000 base damage.
KTS: Nidaime blocks Riika Sheder's Tentacle Strike, taking 1860 damage!
KTS: Riika Sheder has engaged Nidaime!

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina actually laughs as Nidaime princess carries her, shifting the hug to around her neck. "My hero~" She says theatrically, as if the two were merely on stage at some show.

Because now that she's up here, she doesn't feel unsafe at all. Leina never feels unsafe in the care of those people who are so precious to her. She has full faith in them.

Which is why she sends back a feeling of warmth and gratitude to Anosillus...

I am safe, right here.

As Gonglee whips a tentacle in her direction, Leina is forewarned, and moves to the edge of one of his tailspikes, to at least present as small a target as possible. Fortunately Ouka takes aim. And the tentacle never reaches her.

Ouka, if she looks closely near where she took that shot, might see a girl on the back of a Kaiju's shell placing a palm by her face, and winking at her, "Appreciate the save!"

Again Leina puts her hand upon Anosillus' shell, trying to focus on that connection.

Concentrate. You can do this. Your opportunity will come soon.

And in that connection, that warmth, there is this sharpening of the senses.

Because she has full faith in this Kaiju, to bring them all home safe.

KTS: Leina Ashta targets Ouka Nagisa and Nidaime with Awe.
KTS: Leina Ashta has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Nidaime

<Pose Tracker> Garrod Ran has posed.

"Pretty sure no one of us could have," Garrod replies to Riika, finally placing her voice from the meeting. He's not exactly surprised; that meeting *did* basically end with almost everyone committing their efforts to thwart Akane's attack on the Tsutsujidai school festival, although there were (as he recalls) some disagreements about what else they were going to do.

If there's one thing Garrod can say about hostile kaiju, they're great at getting other people to work together to take them down.

The actual takedown, though, can be ... a little complicated. Or a lot complicated - Gonglee is proving a spectacularly tricky opponent, and the Gundam X is taking a pretty nasty beating as the fight progresses. The thought of backing off and just blowing this kaiju away with overwhelming firepower is *awfully* tempting ... or it would be, if that were even a viable option.

Garrod lets out a wordless yell as he spurs the GX into motion again - not trying to pull away from Gonglee, but pressing the attack while he's already this close anyway. It's not just a simple slash, either, but a quick series of them, almost like he wanted to leave something akin to a signature carved into the kaiju's tentacled flank.

And if he manages to slice through enough tentacles to break away to a greater (and possibly safer) distance, well, that's certainly worth aiming for. If he can help free up some of his allies to pull further back, why not? Although capitalizing on a chance like that would be up to them.

KTS: Garrod Ran has activated the Strike Spirit Command.
KTS: Garrod Ran has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Garrod Ran targets Riika Sheder with Beam Saber - Riposte!
KTS: Leina Ashta inspires awe, increasing Nidaime's Morale!

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"Oh, um, I like to accompany dad to work sometimes." Nidaime tells Riika.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

<Alouette!> The voice calls out to the Null-Sigma's pilot as he watches up close on how the Gonglee catches everyone off guard with its hidden attack. He wants to try and support Alouette, cut through what was trying to latch onto-- No, what was latching onto her Eva as it attempted slamming her about. It was one of the very few times he himself wished he had something as powerful as an Eva to work with, something that would allow him to decimate something like a Kaiju like this one without worry.

Instead, he finds himself being lashed about as the monstrosity flails. Literally trying to shake the Byakuen like a bad itch. At the time, Oz had opted to lodge his blade in to act as a foot-hold, hoping that it'd help to maintain where he was without being thrown off too soon. If he could wait out this thrashing then surely he'd be able to get a more thoroughly strike.

The reality of the situation is much different though. His choice finally acts against him as he ends up caught up in the additional tentacles that begin lashing against its own body. It's horns activating a clamping like motion either to shake him off or crush him in some way.

First, it's the tentacles that get a clean hit on him that dislodge him from the bladed foot-hold, and once he's lost that footing, the weight of the Byakuen alone and the angle of the Slash Harken proves unfruitful for keeping a steady hold and he plummets.

It's a large drop from where he was, one that'd likely be the end of him. . .At least usually. Though the low gravity helps to mitigate the force as he plummets. It's a lucky break.

His body doesn't catch up to it though. For a good moment, he honestly thought he was dead. He pants heavily, pupils dilated, sweat flowing.

It's the reason that what happens next is aired on the comms.

<Auuuuuugggggggghhhhhhh!!!>

A heavy shout and the sound of crunching metal passes through the comms as those close enough to see through the fog can see the smaller unit literally being stepped on. Nearly the entirety of its frame under the creature's foot, with the only relief being that it hadn't applied all its pressure to it as of yet.

The cruelest thing of all though, the pilot. . .Doesn't ask for help. He agonizes into his comms. . . But makes no mention of a 'Help', 'Save me'.

It does not mean that he's not going to try and fight though. If anything, that still seems to be one of the few things it can attempt to do. The blade component folds back in and the canon returns. The arm weapon still appears to be one piece of the KMF that's free to move as needed, and as it stands he needs one clean shot right now more than ever. His target. . .Aiming for that strongest tentacle that was attempting to constrict Alouette's Eva, and if that failed well. . .He'd just have to fire his entire cartridge out into the beast till it moved itself off of him.

KTS: Orpheus Zevon has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Orpheus Zevon targets Riika Sheder with Precision Shot: 30mm High-Initial-Velocity Tungsten Armor-Piercing
Ammunition!
KTS: Riika Sheder parries Garrod Ran's Beam Saber - Riposte, taking 1260 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Garrod Ran's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify!
KTS: Garrod Ran repulses Riika Sheder, forcing her to disengage.
KTS: Riika Sheder fails to Evade Orpheus Zevon's Precision Shot: 30mm High-Initial-Velocity Tungsten Armor-Piercing
Ammunition, taking 6480 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Disabling Strike activates, causing Jam L1!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Orpheus Zevon's Precision Attacker activates, causing Nullify!

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"Oh, um, I like to accompany dad to work sometimes." Nidaime tells Riika.

Nidaime giggles at Leina's theatrics. She likes the feeling, but she knows it's a bit of play in a dire situation. She can feel that Leina feels safer up here. Perhaps even completely safe.

Nidaime tends to feel safe up here too. She offers Leina a candied apple which is pretty inappropriate. She had left it on an Anosillus's back though. And it's already a bit prenibbled by Nidaime but she is a very giving person.

Anosillus hears you Leina.

I know. He responds. I have to.

It's as simple as that.

Anosillus can't block (or use) his shell like this. Indeed, he is pretty uncomfortable with getting up too close as it stands. But he does feel confident. Anosillus doesn't usually hit a full 150 Will.

Tentacles lash and slam against Anosillus but the Kaiju refuses to duck behind his shell, or cower. Nidaime is used to these kinds of rough rides. Leina not so much. He is able to keep himself steady for Leina. She is family. She has to be okay. There's no alternatives viable for Anosillus.

Rather than try to crush the kaiju, Anosillus actually starts stepping back--

--rearing back with its head before unleashing a supersonic wave towards the kaiju! More mist is likely cleared through the process once more. This time with some extra oomph behind it.

KTS: Nidaime targets Riika Sheder with Earpiercing Scream!

<Pose Tracker> Alloy Kaas has posed.

        Unit Null-Sigma. A Kraken Evangelion. Four massive tentacles on a seventy plus meter abomination. While these additional limbs are tearing at the rear neck of the Kaiju, what was considered the back of the beast, opened up like a mouth, and another tentacle, tongue, appendage whips out and wraps about Unit Null-Sigma, trying to crush as it throws side to side in the nearby buildings.

        Alloy, screams awash in pain, a reflection of the damage to her Eva within the plug. The plugsuit clinging to her glows in the areas suffering damage to the Evangelion. Alloy feels that pain. But it's gone beyond that now. The damage to the Evangelion is extensive. Chunks of armor have broken off, cracked, some has even turned into shrapnel, stuck inside the flesh of the Eva like so many scalpels.

        Alloy has no more scream to give, is near passing out, but the grip loosens, or did squeeze more... one way or another it changed and kept her awake but just barely, just...

        "Alouette!"

        Orpheus snaps her back to it. She grabs the controls in hand, grips them as tightly as she can with shaking hands.

        "Move."

        "Move."

        "Move."

        Null-Sigma begins to move. Shudders, seeking the adernaline needed to drive the giant body right now. Slowly, then suddenly it awakens. It's head, rearing back as if it were screaming, roaring. The arms, begin to push away, fighting the grip. The tentacles trying each to get a grip.

        "Orpheus..."

        Alouette strains, and pulls, until she screams. trying, willing, to rip this tentacle all the way down like string cheese. Evanglion Unit Null-Sigma and pilot try to rend this tentacle apart, and give everyone an opening, to fire at the eye, tocut off the tentacles, everything they can in the window, to bring this creature down. Save this place. Save everyone.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    Ouka Nagisa does care about other people, and she tries to be a good person. Often times though she is unable to act in ways accordance with her nature. Even now the behavior of Alouette Kaas is concerning to her. Were she allowed to act according to her nature she might speak up. Try to ask her what is wrong. If something sad was given in reply, she would even try to hug her... albeit without risking direct skin contact.

    Instead the thought is pushed to the back of her mind, and her focus remains on the beast and the defense of the civilian. That is her role, as a soldier and a Boosted Child, after all. From the corner of her eye she sees Second, as she calls herself, holding Leina in a princess carry. Ouka is still uncertain about kaiju and their nature... but this creature seems to have the trust of those who outrank her within NERV, and thus it follows that she treats her with trust and respect as well.

    So then is she allowed to turn her full attention back upon the beast - now sweeping at her and the other attacking units with both tentacles. The two converge in her direction... her throttle hand automatically moves toward the console to raise the energy to her point defense emitters as the attack closes in. Without any hope of stopping the massive limbs in their path she simply attempts to deflect them, even slightly, while her unit's thrusters maneuver out of their path.

    No such luck.

    The tentacles crash together, catching her unit and in particular one of its legs in its grip. The leg is ripped free, sacrificed in order to allow the Nightmare Plus freedom to maneuver! Red warnings scream across the cockpit before Ouka, glaring, dismisses them all with a wave of her hand.

    Missing a leg, maneuvering now is much harder. Luckily someone as well trained as Ouka has little problem in compensating though. "All allied units: Preparing for maximum bombardment. Anosillus, Second, please keep the civilian out of harm's way."

The Nightmare Plus maneuver as close as her pilot dares, as the remaining intact micro-missile pods open up revealing her machine's full ordinance. What comes next is both beautiful and terrible - a stream of countless missiles spiraling and dancing amongst each other before intersecting with the massive body of the beast. Then attempting, upon impact, to each bloom in a catastrophic flower of concussive might! Hopefully it will be enough even to force the beast to take a step backwards, removing its wait from the unit it is trampling underfoot, merely by the intensity of light and sound produced by the blast.

    But will it be enough?

KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Valor Spirit Command.
KTS: Alloy Kaas targets Riika Sheder with Spines of Raking!
KTS: Ouka Nagisa has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Orpheus Zevon
KTS: Ouka Nagisa targets Riika Sheder with Micro-Missile Array Itano Circus!
KTS: Nidaime has activated the Trust Spirit Command targeting Leina Ashta
KTS: Nidaime has activated the Enable Spirit Command targeting Leina Ashta
KTS: Nidaime rattles Riika Sheder, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
KTS: Riika Sheder fails to Evade Nidaime's Earpiercing Scream, taking 3420 damage!
KTS: Nidaime repulses Riika Sheder, forcing her to disengage.
KTS: Riika Sheder partially guards Alloy Kaas's Spines of Raking, taking 6840 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Alloy Kaas's Geass Directorate Survivor activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Riika Sheder has been defeated!
KTS: Alloy Kaas has engaged Riika Sheder!
KTS: Riika Sheder fails to react to Ouka Nagisa's Micro-Missile Array Itano Circus, taking 6840 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Ouka Nagisa's The First and The Last activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Riika Sheder has been defeated!

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"It wasn't as if I was trying to," Riika objects. She was just here to scout, and hadn't intended to engage alone... but Gonglee surprised her, too.

Accompany dad to work? So... "*That's* him?" Riika is more surprised by that from Nidaime than anything else. "Well, I'll back you up, but those were all the flares I had..." And honestly they're not dispelling the fog so much as shining through it - and they won't do even that for long.

But Anosillus' scream does a good job at dispersing the fog - better, this time, because Gonglee is damaged and distracted. The blast rocks it, pains it; its extra tentacles flick around it as if preparing to drive towards Anosillus.

It never really gets the chance.

Garrod might not be able to use his big gun - not in a colony, that would be a *horrible* plan - but he doesn't need to; his saber may be partially deflected by one of those writhing tentacles, but wherever he's jabbed it seems to have been significant judging by the way Gonglee shudders afterwards. It steps to recover its balance between that and the sonic assault - incidentally freeing Orpheus, as the foot comes down *next* to him, close enough to touch.

Freeing him is a mistake for the kaiju. Now he has more freedom to aim and more time to do it in. His shot goes straight for the base of the greater tentacle - the 'tongue'? - holding Alouette's kaiju and halfway severs it, the high-velocity rounds penetrating its armoured 'head' (even though that's not where its mouth is, it seems to move it like a head) and causing another one of those wild flailings.

Ouka had better watch out for the flailing, but the Valkyrie is fast enough to maneuver, especially if Ouka doesn't care about the warnings. The shower of missiles blast against Gonglee, and it freezes up entirely, leaving it open.

Which is when Alloy almost literally pulls it apart.

Gonglee breaks in her grasp, but it doesn't get messy-biologic like some kinds of monsters might. It sparkles - it glitters - and then it implodes in a flash of energy, drawing into itself and vanishing. The fog starts to disperse moments later, almost as fast as it came - it's nearly supernatural how fast it clears. Some of the buildings are still wrecked, but that's happened before.

"...I suppose that's that," Riika says, her GINN still down and now unmoving - after getting into position to fire the flares and flashes, it doesn't really have anything left at all. "I suppose that proves it *was* her. Thank you... Is everyone all right?" She's not entirely sure about some of them, but she can't see them well from here!

KTS: You have not deployed a robot. (see +deploy)

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina is NOT used to these rough rides, but she has a stronger grip than most her age at least. She has to briefly clamp her hands over her ears when the supersonic wave comes, but afterwards... she breathes a sigh of relief.

Eventually though, with the hostiles down and the mist clearing, Leina walks over to Nidaime upon the shell, and gives her another big hug. "Thanks Nidaime. Would have been lost without you." And Leina pats her head fondly, before it turns into a ruffle of her hair. "Also. I think I saw your friend Gridman on the way here. Let him know he did good for me, if you see him? The evacuation wouldn't have been half as orderly without that stunt."

Releasing Nidaime though, she adds to the Kaiju, "And thanks, Anopapa. Couldn't have been easy watching out for another passenger."

No Leina doesn't consider the Kaiju her father, but she likes Nidaime's nickname for him, and Nidaime's family as far as Leina's concerned.

Eventually though, she startes to make her way down the shell, carefully. Mostly by scooting on her bottom and sliding very carefully as she answers Riika, "I'm good myself. Honestly I'm more worried about some of the pilots here." As she gives the Evangelion a look - in particular.

Once she finally makes it back to Terra Firma though, she asks Riika in particular, "How about you?" As she gives her a concerned look, "Your mobile suit took quite a beating there. If you want to stick around in town to rest while you arrange a new ride - I can offer you a place to stay."

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    ... sister... dad... it sounds like Second was having a regular family outing. Only now though is she able to consider the meanings behind her words. That Anosillus is her father is expected of course - but who is the sister? The Kaiju they had just defeated? No that wouldn't make sense. Unless she was warning to be careful OF her sister, the rampaging Kaiju? Then her gaze turns towards Leina, the girl in the arms of Nidaime and considers...

    ... no probably not. It sort of beggars belief that Nidaime would have a sister, who is a civilian and by all appearances and actions a human, who she randomly encountered and rescued during a fight. It's more likely she was warning them to be careful of her sister - the giant ambush kaiju.

    Sometimes... Ouka just gets things wrong.

    Regardless, once the creature is defeated and glitters before imploding in a flash of energy, the fog disperses and the VF-171's sensors clear with it. The first Boosted Child brings her unit in for a landing. A fairly rough, three point landing utilizing its one intact leg and two arms.

    "Confirmed, area clear of hostile kaiju and residual interference. Moving to recovery and assessment operations.

The First Boosted Child considers going to the aid of the Byakuen and its pilot. However, considering that Alouette is very likely in a better position to come to his aid, she lets her take care of it instead. Meanwhile Ouka will turn the sensors of the VF-171 to search for damaged buildings and the potential of hurt or trapped civilians. She uplinks her onboard systems with her suit, and then pulls open the lever to open the hatch to her Valkyrie.

    The pilot easily leaps down from the open cockpit and removes her helmet - resulting in a waterfall of dark green hair falling down her back. She shakes some of the sweat free from her mane, before reaching up to wipe some more from her brow. "Thank you for the assistance, Riika." The Boosted Child glances toward her suit and offers a polite salute. A sign of respect from the member of one military force to another. Afterwards her attention turns to Anosillus, Nidaime and Leina. She regards the odd trio with an expression that betrays little of her confusion. "Anopapa?" The First Boosted Child blinks. She notices it is with regards to the kaiju, Anosillus. Anosillus. Anopapa... Ano... Papa?

    *grindgrindgrindclick*

    "Are you a kaiju as well?"

Sometimes she gets it wrong but she is trying her best...

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

"You didn't know?? Can't you see the resemblance???" Nidaime asks of Riika, in utter disbelief. She pulls up her hoodie and tightens it to make it more obvious. It doesn't really make it more obvious until you really start to think about it though.

"No problem!" She adds to Riika.

She focuses on Leina for a moment. "Ah--Of course, I'll be happy to tell him! I hope he remembers himself soon..."

Anosillus gronks at Leina, a sort of gruff 'aww it was nothing' kind of response that he gives when a touch embarrassed.

Anopapa, being a papa, can think of many people as 'a daughter to him' as he'd like. That's the power.... Of being a papa...!!
%
Anosillus gets on all fours so that Leina has an easier time getting off. Nidaime follows her and hugs Leina again.

"Mmhmm! Leina is the ultimate hotel manager!!" Nidaime says.

This is not exactly the deal but.

<Pose Tracker> Orpheus Zevon has posed.

There's relief that comes as the Gonglee loses its footing. The pressure on the Byakuen is released and Oz can breathe again in relative peace even if his hull is blaring with alerts all around. Alerts that if he were in actual space right now, would be much more concerning.

Though he's not and it isn't. Instead, what follows is collaboration that allows for the chain reaction of multiple allies aiding in one another's rescue till this Kaiju was returned to glitter and dust alike.

In a tired but reassured voice, the support unit can at least say over the comms without a doubt. <Mission accomplished. Threat neutralized.>

At this point, he's running a brief diagnostic on the Knightmare Frame that leaves him. . .Questioning.

"Should be enough to get there and fend for ourselves if need be. . ."

It's not exactly in the mission specs, but could anyone blame him if he told them that he was going to check in on the battle that was transpiring on the other side of town? At the very least. . .

<This is Support Unit 01-C. Unit's still operational and planning to provide emergency support and civilian assistance to team 1. Inquiring of which pilots can sorte. . .>

At this time it's Alouette that receives a private transmission. <What's the condition of your unit? Can you move, if not, I'll have you join me. I imagine your allies will need support, no?> Plus. . .There still was the matter of trying to catch a glimpse of this Akane Shinjo in person. If they could just meet her then perhaps. . .

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

"I think you're overselling me a little." Leina laughs as Nidaime hugs her and gives her another pat on the head, "A hotel is a bit more complicated to run than our Villa."

<Pose Tracker> Alloy Kaas has posed.

        The energy has long dispersed, before Alouette can move again. When she does, the bloody and beaten body of her Eva collapses to its knees, and coming to lean on a tangled nest of appendages. She activates the emergency discharge system to allow an egress from the plug.

        Alouette tries to get out, walking a line between stubborn and too tired to care with regard to her injuries. She makes it out and makes her way at best speed to regroup with the others, only getting annoyed whn blood or punctured lung slow her down more than anything else.

<Pose Tracker> Nidaime has posed.

Nidaime's eyes sparkle.

"The Mayor of the...Villa...ge."

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    'Leina is the ultimate hotel manager!'

"I see."

She doesn't. But sometimes she just says that when she gets the feeling that trying to pursue a certain conversational topic won't lead to anywhere productive. Instead Ouka raises her hand to the side of her neck to activate her NERV communicator.

"Aurum-1 reporting. Ambush Kaiju codename 'Gonglee' has been intercepted and neutralized. Currently assessing military casualties. One civilian has been rescued, identified by Second as 'Leina the Ultimate Hotel Manager'. She appears to be unharmed. Once assessment and rescue and recovery has been completed, I will return to base."

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina arches one eyebrow, then actually clears her throat, and cants her head to the side to try to meet Ouka's eyes, "It's Ashta actually. Leina Ashta. I'm here on behalf of the Yumi Foundation, as a volunteer."

All of that is technically true, though it perhaps, vastly undersells her ties to the Yumi foundation.

"Nidaime's just a goof sometimes."

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    "I see.

Ouka speaks over the radio again: "Addendum, Leina Ashta, Volunteer Ultimate Hotel Manager of the Yumi Foundation, has been rescued and appears to be in good health." Sometimes it's best to quit while you're ahead.

<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.

"I can't see much of anything unless the head's pointed that way." Because Riika's GINN is shut down.

Riika does need a pickup from ZAFT agents, but they aren't exactly waiting for her just outside the colony; this is technically not a ZAFT operation, she's just been assigned to keep an eye on Tsutsujidai and sometimes that means bringing her MS inside.

"All right," she agrees. "I'd like that - we'll need to get a shuttle in here and I wouldn't ask for that during an operation." And she's not sure if the other one is still going on, or if there's a *third* attack she doesn't know about - she'll have to get some information beforehand.

"But everybody... good work today. And thanks."

KTS: Alloy Kaas's Evangelion Unit-Null-Sigma has left
Alloy Kaas teleports out.

<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.

Leina Ashta promptly facepalms at Ouka's addendum.

Then smiles at her patiently, though a sigh leaves her lips, as she looks Nidaime's way - and says, with light exasperation in a tone of 'what am I going to do with you', "Look what you just did, putting that idea in her head."

It really does sound like the way a big sister might talk to a younger one.

Leina does however note 'Aurum-1' as something she needs to look up later... given... well... she just immediately gets this vibe from her.

"Anyhow, thanks again for protecting me." She says to Ouka.

Before again turning to Riika, and smiling as she listens to her accept the offer, "Alright. You sit tight. I've got a rental car parked a few blocks away. Given that I don't hear that Kaiju roaring in the distance - feels like it's safe to drive now."

She's not about to ask someone whose mobile suit got THAT wrecked to walk with her to retrieve it.

KTS: Garrod Ran's GX-9900 Gundam X has left
Garrod Ran teleports out.

<Pose Tracker> Ouka Nagisa has posed.

    Ouka is trying her best... but interaction between normal people or even 'normal' people is often very confusing to her. After all she had never had a normal life... at least not one that she can remember. So when Leina chides Nidaime for putting 'that idea in her head', Ouka can only stare blankly at the two of them. Did she still get it wrong? I mean... true, on analysis the string of words she uttered into the radio did sound ridiculous. However she lacks the experience or context to pick apart which part is ridiculous.

    ... though there is one thing she does understand, and that's the warm interaction between that of an older sibling to one who is younger. And it is with regard to that realization Ouka does finally smile. She's still not sure if the 'Ultimate Hotel Manager' is some sort of kaiju or not... but she is certain of one thing:

    These two are sisters, as genuinely as Seolla and herself.

    "Of course." Is Ouka's response to Leina's gratitude. Polite, but meant to affirm the fact that she was simply doing her duty. Afterwards she says no more to the group as they work on readying themselves for departure. Instead she turns her gaze back to her unit. She raises her wrist, and a small holographic display pops up showing her the current results of the scans of the area. Looks like nothing too concerning, thankfully, and she directs her valkyrie to upload the data to local authorities for processing. Afterwards she'll leap back up into the cockpit of her unit, and takes off to return home.

    Perhaps... they'll let her see Seolla today, and she'll be able to give her a hug.