2010-01-29 - Issac City

OOC NOTE: This is a very large log. Some of the Combat message may be a tad disjointed. I attempted to put them in their proper places, but it was hard to get them all. I also tried to get all the spirit commands pulled out, but I may have missed a few. Feel free if you notice a spirit command still in this log or you notice a combat message out of line and where it should be, please feel free to clean up this log. Thank You and Enjoy!

Hidden in the depths of the snow of Siberia is a city long forgotten, the entrance hidden away at the foot of the mountain with large steel doors that had been recently re-opened. From what could be seen, there were recently tracks made leading into the doors that the falling snow was slowly attempting to cover. The lights within were dim, and looked to have been once a road on the ground, by how the road that could be seen past the doors connected under the several feet of snow. The road went down and further down, the lights above flickered on and off, and even a few were no longer in surface.

It was dark down there, but it looked like some battling did take place by a few scorch marks, but yet no automotive weapons in sight. This was the location the Trailers were hired to go and the location of the S.O.S. signal.

Someone, something was down in there within the tunnel's depths and that something was the source of the signal and the source of the hiring, or so everyone would hope.

How little did they realize just what awaited them within...

Down below the ramp, passing another set of doors, is the city itself. Buildings that rise high that tower around twenty to thirty stores tall. Old Street lights, stop signs, and forgotten vehicles from the time. A few of these destroyed. The Streets themselves go to other doors that have been closed and lights here, unlimited from high above also flicker at times, though a few are stable. It gives a very dark look to the area.

Really everything about the place is dark, from the forgotten buildings, from the plants that have taken over some sections of the buildings and benches, and even to the rust on the lamp poles. It is forgotten, it has been abandoned, and it apparently hasn't had anyone in it for some time.

Just... what happened here?

Speaking of Trailers, here comes one right now! A single small dropship slowly descends from the heavens to park itself at the foot of the mountain. Said dropship is mostly filled with salvaging equipment and crew, but there is a single unit within its hull. As the hanger slowly opens up, the visage of Marcus recently repaired and overhauled AS7-D Atlas is revealed, grim and ugly as the day it was constructed. "Remember, don't come in until I give the okay. We don't know exactly what's in here, and I don't want some dumb kid getting himself killed in an ambush or getting bushwhacked by a booby-trap! Got it?" He waits for a reply from the salvage crew, who whole-heartedly agree to keep their heads down, then takes his first steps out into the crisp snow of Siberia. "Now, where is Archangel and the others at? I thought we were all doing this together. Maybe I'm early?"

Archangel is coming, so don't worry Marcus. There can be seen a Raven shuttle(probably a few, with a few Ravens) coming in, it hovers over the area before dropping the ACs and whoever else may have joined in. After all, always hard to say how many those things are carrying.

Once landing, the white AC's red optic flickers on, <<"Marcus">> Archangel address the other merc as his AC slides over, avoiding the crews. <<"I guess our company hirers already went in, huh? No reason to keep them waiting.">>

The sleek form of the Valhawk descends from the sky, decelerating to the point where an onlooker might wonder how its wings are deriving enough lift to keep the vehicle airborne; only at the ramp does it transform into Close Combat Mode, its feet planting down firmly on the ramp, then turning to survey the area. One hand comes up in a wave to the dropship and the Atlas, then the ACs and the shuttle from Dragoon's Company. << Hey, guys, >> Kazuma's voice comes over the radio. << Looks like everyone's getting here right about the same time ... was there supposed to be someone to meet us out here? >> Sumika has arrived.

Wildcat got a small tinge of nostalgia when this mission had been posted on the Trailer mission-board. Isaac City... he seemed to remember something about that place many years ago... or was it? Either way, the name of the location was familiar to him, though this Raven has been set on edge a bit ever since accepting the mission.

This simply does not feel right.

Red jumps down from the Raven dropship easily and steps through the snow after Archangel, its pace lumbering for now. Its single optic flickers as its head turns to glance over its shoulder, then it makes a 'shrug' with its left shoulder before turning to face the open doors. <<"...Let's go...">>

Siberia.

Meiya tried to remove herself from it. The memories, the giant blast crater further to the south.

The Terror.

There’s no doubt that what went on in that mysterious crater back then was horrific, but still her fate is tied to Siberia Base, that vanguard force that fought for so long, and is now left to guard one of the wasteland's secrets.

That’s why Meiya was in Siberia when the SOS went out. She was given a squad of Type-97 Shiranui's to investigate. After all it could be... them, again.

The Tactical Surface Fighter's skim along the snowy fields powered by jet engines until they enter a visual range of the entrance, then come to a stop. "Confirmed, entrance to some kind of underground bunker. Lots of trailers here... maybe looking for salvage. They out number us so let's not give them a reason to shoot. Approach slow and steady, weapons ready but no targeting."

Christ, is her squad the only EFA prescience here? That’s kind of worrying. Regardless the half-jet mecha march towards the decent into the city, pausing only as they see whats inside.

"A whole...city?"

The Poltergeist is here as well, tromping thought he snow. To reduce the risk of early detection, the Equinox dropped Sly a good ways away from the target, and is currently running high-altitude intelligence support, while the Poltergeist gets to walk the rest of the way, using jets to boost itself though the more impassive terrain.

Inside, Sly Heckler isn't all together happy.

"Why do we keep doing missions to the snow-covered wastes, again?"

"Why do you keep whining about it. Your mech is insulated."

"Yeah, try saying that when you're down here and not on a comfy ship."

"Anyway, /most/ mechwarriors prefer fighting in the snow, to reduce the chance of overheating."

"Oh, right right..it helps with weapon heat. Which is -such- a big problem with this mech. Tell me, how many laser-based weapons do I have on here? None? I'm pretty sure it's none."

"Well then how about you focus less on whining and more on doing your job quickly, then?"

Sly doesn't dignify that with a response, instead opening his com onto the mission frequency. < His fingers move rapidly, taking apart a portion of the control panels, as he interlocks himself with the transmission systems, weaving fingers and muttering prayers as he attempts to boost the sensor systems, trying to listen more keenly to something.  Marcus Gunter transmits, "Hmph... looks like the Federation showed up too. Probably responding to that SOS."

Noblesse Oblige settles in, the NEXT's Kojima Particle Field - better known as 'Primal Armor' - deploying as the heavy white machine sinks to the ground. The PA Attenuators seemed to be working just fine, Leonhardt notes, flipping switches and checking codes as the Man-Machine Link plugged in; streams of data dumps through his brain, sweeping in and seeping into the lines and channels of his cybernetic brain. His eyes, his senses, overlay with Noblesse Oblige's far more advanced mechanical parts, creating a dual image of the field that allowed for enhanced analysis...or complete insanity, as could occasionally be the case with the less disciplined Linxes.

Leonhardt is not one of those Linxes. He has been doing this for many years, and he knows Noblesse Oblige better than the back of his hand.

The heavy white winged machine hefts its rifle, targeting systems queuing up as Leonhardt examines the area. It was kind of eerie, but Rosenthal had insisted he join the expedition - with plausible deniability if it went south. Leonhardt didn't like to do business that way, but he didn't really have a choice; his earnings from Raven work had been dropping significantly, and he still needed to complete Noblesse Oblige's new transformation circuit.

<<"I agree,">> Leonhardt observes over the radio, <<"This is far too strange.">> It was setting off the veteran Linx's senses something fierce. Too bizarre.

<<"Still, a good chance to test the new PA attenuators. How's everyone holding up?">>

 Leonhardt transmits, "Yes, well, no reason to start shooting."  Solis Vivent transmits, "This place is...its amazing. I hear many engines. I hear automated turrets. I hear much machinery and much moving. I hear war song. I hear construction song..."  Sly Heckler transmits, "What are you talking about? From where I'm sitting it doesn't look like anything has worked here in 50 years."  Solis Vivent transmits, "It is constant, almost like a chorus, or a...gaggle..."  Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Where are you hearing it from, Solis?"  Solis Vivent transmits, "...like an ocean..."  Juku Reimaru transmits, "If you find something cool, brign it back so I can see it."

Underground? Kamina is from there! Waaaaay underground...in another dimension. Under that ground too. That was why Team Gurren had decided to take this job for the lowest bid possible. I mean this might have something to do with his people...well probably not his village but whatever. The leader of Team Gurren isn't the most logical thinker, taking off down the tunnel at full speed.

The red Gunmen runs forward, passing the other Trailers as it doesn't show any sign of waiting for backup. All that can be heard is the pilot's loud "WOOOO!!!!!" as he continues running down the deserted city. What happened here? Kamina isn't the least bit sure as he continues running toward what he thinks is the center of town.

...There is probably another noise as well. Since Kamina's brother kinda has a habit of falling behind, Kamina has taken it upon himself to teach Simon to run. This was why there was a lasso between Gurren and the wildly bouncing gunmen, Lagann. Even when Kamina comes to a stop, the Lagann should be shot forward and stopped only by the line snapping forward or by debris. Whichever. "You think anyone's down here, Simon?"

 Leonhardt teases, "yes, dear."  Solis Vivent transmits, "I hear it in the noosphere, in the calling quiet... We should proceed with caution and reverence."  Marcus Gunter transmits, "That's why I got a salvage crew on the outside waiting for use to clear the interior."  R. Leonhardt transmits, "Also, as usual, Juku, if anything goes wrong - just in case - I love you."  Juku Reimaru transmits, "Nothing will go wrong."  Juku Reimaru transmits, "Nothing will go wrong."  Marcus Gunter grunts, "/Lovebirds/." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "We ought to sign you up for a seniors dating site, Mister Gunter." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Because if something goes wrong, I will scratch, claw and tear apart the walls of probability and drag you back." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "You might be a little softer if you had a good woman." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> June Shelbech transmits, "Solis, and I want you to know, if anything goes wrong..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "I will be replaced." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> June Shelbech transmits, "You will be replaced." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Marcus Gunter transmits, "You do and you'll find out what bedrock tastes like, boy!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Guys! If anything goes wrong, we've got enough firepower here to blast our way through the ceiling to get out." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "From how it looks, looks like someone already did some cleaning."

Macua was with Katharon now but this was something strange there was something very wrong. Even a lot of the Ravens were on edge when something related to the old company known as Chrome came up. They’d done something to bring the wrath of most of the Nest down on their heads but not even R or Nineball would say what actually happened and the younger Ravens had no idea. Even still it might be a rumor but anything that had the trailers a bit on edge over it? Had her notice.

Given the Company there could be things from forgotten projects down in this place that are best left forgotten. A lone 9ball Seraph Armored Core had been making its way in flight mode towards the ruin, shed informed Amuro what she was up to and had mentioned who knows what sort of things might be in any intact data bases in the ruin. She knew ruins very well and something just felt not right. She couldn’t put her finger on it as the AC landed and went to enter the old city.

The S.O.S was still pinging on her computer as the AC lands behind Archangel and Marcus.

"Looks like were going to be checking out a tomb. I keep hearing Whispers bout Chrome they did something that pissed off the Nest and you guys aint talking. Must have been pretty bad. Also I might have some friends with me so just a heads up."

The AC keeps its rifle ready as the head pans while Macua scans. "Why hasn’t this place been picked clean? If its been abandoned so long someone would have founded it. Either looted it or moved on in, I really don’t like this. Seems nothings active so far but that could change with a moments notice"

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "What's going to go wrong out here? Except someone might accidentally step on a bear and get PETA on them or something." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "This place is alive with vibrant susurrus of machine song. Be wary!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "I'm testing a new PA Attenuator, it never hurts to be cautious." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat just growls.

Simon tried to negotiate a better price for this run because they were basically masters at dealing with underground situations, almost as if they were raised underground all their lives or something, but unfortunately Kamina decided that because of this they should go for less money rather than go more because of their extra experience and skill in this scenario.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Simon is shouting, the Lagann holding onto the end of a rope. The end of a rope is a lasso which is wrapped around the Gurren's neck. "K, K, Kamina slow dooown!" He isn't actually running at all, to be quite frank, so much as he's flying through the air.

Kamina comes to a stop, Simon lets out a terrified, "No, no no, no no no no no no!" as his Lagann collides into the back of the Gurren. This is not the best designed gattai ever.

HONG KONG

Amuro Ray is visiting Wong Luio of Wong Industries in Japan, hammering out more /deals/ between the Hong Kong company, Ray Industries and, of course, the ever-embattled AEUG. The two men are doing as men do on business deals.

Amuro Ray picks another slice of sashimi off the naked woman on the table, washing down the tuna belly with a swig of Haro Brand Light Beer, naturally after clinking glasses with Luio. "Here's to many more years of cooperation between our companies," Amuro says, smiling.

Wong Luio begins to reply, but instead vomits all over the sushi plate.

It's hard working in a restaurant.

Amuro Ray is saved from further embarrassment by his Haro Watch bleeping, telling him that there is an emergency somewhere in the world. "Uh, look, I have to, uhm, you know... /go/..." he whispers, before leaping out the window and into the waiting hand of his Rick Dias.

SIBERIAN WASTES

The Dodai settles gently to the ground outside the mouth of the cave, and the bright red robot steps off the flying platform. Large robot feat crunch into the snow, sinking several meters before the pack solidifies enough to support the mobile suit's weight. Inside, Amuro Ray shivers slightly, and adjusts the climate control. The Rick Dias pulls a beam pistol off its shoulder, and shines a fingerlight into the tunnel entrance. The White Devil frowns.

"This is clearly a trap," he mutters, moving slowly towards the entrance. "Damn this pathological need to save the world."

He enters the dark caverns, and heads towards the city.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kamina transmits, "WOOO! Taking off ahead! Come on Simon!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "How can you not /hear/ that?!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Because we don't have your cybernetics, get over it." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, "Machine Song?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...I only sense... that something... isn't right... Solis is right... we must be careful..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Simon transmits, "Waaaaahhh!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "B-be careful!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Simon, you have that on your Mp3 player?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Hey, Kamina, Simon." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon CLUNK. "wh..huh?"

Marcus grunts a bit as he watches the EFA patrol soar overhead, "Looks like the Federation is here too... probably that SOS... alright people, keep your ears and eyes open and look sharp! We're headed--" And then Kamina charges right by him, prompting Marcus to slap his forehead, "Oh good grief. Those two are gonna be the death of me..." He throttles up his machine and starts lumbering after Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum as they enter the underground city.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kamina transmits, " Simon! Stop hitting things! Tch. I asked you if you had "Machine Song" on your mp3 player. They are hearing it or something." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Tread carefully indeed. These doors have been sealed for a long time. Damn Research crews, what the hell were they thinking..."

"You think it's a science city or something?" Banjo Haran wonders over Katharon frequencies. "One of those pre-colonial weapons factories?"

He's doing this wondering as he reclines in the cockpit of the Daitank, Daitarn-3's slightly more compact but still recklessly oversized siege-friendly brother. Currently, the vehicle is boring into the mountain side to make its own way inside, thanks to a drill jutting from its main cannon. Yes, there is a door, yes, it leads directly into the city; there are also /other people/ who will probably want to use that means of entrance, and anyway, he had this thing made once to impress a girl, and damned if he isn't gonna get a return on his investment.

"Not for nothing, but I'd like first crack at anything functional down here; I'll hand it over after it's analyzed, obviously, but I have /people/..."

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Technology must be restored to mankind. Think of what ancient secrets might be buried here." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter growls a bit, "Nnnng... idiots..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "Oh you mean Solis--he's just has these crazy cybernetics or something." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Eh?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " The hell is Cybernetics? That one of those things lonely people do online?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "He's got machines in his head." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, "Uh. Sounds..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "He's a cyborg, Mister Kamina. Part machine, part man." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "So am I, for that matter." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, "..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Juku Reimaru transmits, "THink of what old out dated junk might be down there." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "You're excited about this, hmmm?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Simon, can you point out that Leonhardt guy later?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "I'll bring you back something nice. I'm the one in the white angel-looking thing, Mister Kamina." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " My fist has some explaining to do." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "This city was built by Chrome, Chrome was a big manufacture in AC parts, MTs, and military weaponry." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "You're not a Mister, yes, yes, I know. You're younger than I am." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "What's the matter, Kamina?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Do we have any intel on this place? What actually happened out here?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "I apologize. Old habits die hard." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...like an ocean..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat growls... <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "It's Siberia; probably yet another horrible disaster." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "--um maybe we should not fight while on the job here--a, anyway, is there anywhere you want us to start digging?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Eh. Nothing. He just keeps calling me "Mister" or whatever...Nothing that matters during this." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "My apologies, Kamina. I'll keep it in mind in the future." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Focus Vivent. I don't need you getting mesmerized by electronic whale songs!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "Oh yeah, I think he just dosen't know the ground rules--" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "What I don't get is-- where are the people who contracted us?"

Folka was part of the trailer groups sent here to investigate things...and of course, rescue those trapped here. What was more interesting was the fact there was an entire city here, seemingly forgotten and abandoned. The Shura could not fathom the wasted resources used in building this place, and why the humans would continue to let this place go to waste for so long...but there were still a great many things that Folka did not know. The Shura, however, broke off from the transport group. "I will scout ahead, I will fall back if I either find the source of our mission, or if I find trouble." The Shura says, calmly, aiming to move deeper inside the underground city, and not wasting time for the others to get their barrings. Folka felt something off. He is not sure what...but there was a tingling in the back of his mind that was screaming at him...Folka learned by now to listen to these things.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Tch. No idea. Seen this before though." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Unless they somehow got lost."

"I'll ro-sham-bo you for it," Amuro Ray replies, because Katharon is nothing if not full of engineers and science nerds. In fact it's basically the huge science nerd faction. "But first let's see where that signal's coming from."

The Rick Dias creeps down the tunnel even further, ducking into convenient giant robot-sized alcoves, mono-eye swiveling and blinking as it peers into the shadows. "I'm reading an opening further down the line..."

What Amuro Ray is not telling Banjo Haran is that, as a Newtype, he is unbeatable at ro-sham-bo.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Thost Furries get down into these things and kill everyone." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "As long as we're careful we'll be okay, we got bro here and everything." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Simon, keep your eyes peeled." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "Yes, care is probably wise." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Careful it is ... who's got the best sensors here? Any recon specialists?"

The ambient radio frequencies choke on a flood of transmissions. Their point of origin is, at this point, impossible to identify. The voice in question is far too uncultured to be this mysterious.

"Y'all steppin' on too many toes here, just floppin' around like big fat mech chickens with their stupid lookin' heads blown off! BLOWN OFF... BY MISSILES."

The punctuation to that quaint accent is an epic bombardment of frightening proportions. The world outside the tunnels experience a simultaneous explosion as missiles rain down from heaven, making the Earth weep for mercy at such artful bazooka mastery. There is nothing that is not on fire. At least, above ground.

"I want y'all to know that what y'all doin' is stupid, an' you gonna have a nice big plate of rocket gumbo before this'n is through."

Several brightly painted warheads curl from their destinations, shooting down the tunnel, their payloads spraying clouds of debris.

"TIME FOR THE HAMMA'"

"AND THE HAMMA' IS EXPLOSIVE!"

"/BECAUSE IT'S A BAZOOKA HAMMA'/"

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "My ship is flying intel support overhead. I'd bring her down lower to do some scanning, but I don't want to risk it until we know what kind of defenses we might be looking at." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "That doesn't sound good." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Mihiro Ardygun transmits, "INCOMING!"

A mysterious SOS beacon... Staren can't really resist a call for help now, can he? The Star Hawk, as usual, flies down from the sky -- he doesn't know what he'll encounter, so of course he's bringing his personal machine -- The Star Hawk lands in humanoid form and, after releasing camera drones to scout, moves underground...

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Someone's looking to die!"

Solis peers around, murmuring out prayers in machine chant as the Volacticus Cursor slowly moves forward. He can still hear it, that unsettling constant noise in the background.. "I see no man, but I hear /you/...are your masters dead? Is that why you called us?" He activates the broadnet radio again, speaking over the local network, <In the glorious name, of he who sets design to all, of he who rouses all, in the name of mankind, eternal and glorious, do I, Solis Vivent, beseech thee, my allies' engines, serve us well and vouchsafe us from harm, lest we stride forth into danger...may your armor be strong, your weapons keen, and your hearts roused... So shall it be. Execute.> His head turns up as the warheads launch forth and the eightball seraph leaps into the air, <The rest of you handle this fool! I have to investigate this further!> The eightball's engines flare again as Solis breaks from the rest of the group, leaping from rooftop to rooftop...

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Folka Albark transmits, "!!! Get down!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Everyone out of the entrance way! Spread out! We're sitting ducks all bunched up like this in the door!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Simon suddenly serious, "Kamina let's dig." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kamina transmits, " Right! Dig toward the heavens, Simon!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Simon says, "Right!", starts digging down.

There are numerous tunnels down into the buried city beneath the Siberian wilderness. With the three units now out and causing a ruckus for the allied forces moving toward Isaac City, the city itself starts to come to life.

One of the largest docking bays that opens out into Siberia begins to come to life. An enormous battleship-sized garage door begins to slide open, giving free access down into the city itself. Buildings come to life and open up their own hangar doors, releasing four different squads of mobile suits near the entry points of the tunnels and hangar bays out into the world.

Are these squads friend or foe? What else lies within the city that appears to be otherwise derelict?

[OOC] Epyon says, "The mobile suits in those squads look like: http://www.angelfire.com/games2/armoredcorehq/Images/1.jpg"

"What are you even gonna do with it? You don't need new fuel cells or weapons delivery systems to crank out more goddamn spambots," Banjo scoffs as the front end of the Daitank disappears further and further down its self-made hole. There is an eco-friendly nutrient slick beneath it due to gathered rock being mashed up, liquified and mixed with a plant-nurturing slurry on one of the Invincible--Tank--Of--Steel's sublevels.

Daitarn-3 is basically an environmentalist's wet dream, it's even solar powered.

"Hey, belay all that, what the hell are these /black/ things?"

Noblesse Oblige is a NEXT. Among other things, that means it has a MAGICAL PARTICLE SHIELD, and extremely good tuning; in other words, when the bazookas start coming down, the heavy white machine opens its Overboost, channeling a significant amount of Primal Armor into its tertiary, rarely-used Overboost Thruster and getting away from the door ASAP. The white machine streaks forward for a few moments at an astonishingly huge speed (truly impractical for dodging - a straight line is easy to evade - but great for getting out of the way of traps), speed that would quite literally flatten human beings.

Leonhardt is not a human being. Leonhardt is a Linx. He's -better- than a human being.

The flood of power to the thrusters ceases as Noblesse Oblige touches down again with a -whoompf-, pushing aside any dust that might be present as the battleship-sized garage door opens. Leonhardt swears - most unknightly-like. "What in the *censored* is that?!" He shouts, already trying to get a bead on the targets.

Okay, standing on the ramp is apparently a bad place to be. The Valhawk promptly leaps clear, converting back to Air Force Mode and peeling up into the air, beginning a high loop-de-loop which Kazuma can break out of in any direction that seems most appropriate.

Thanks to Mihiro's warning and Kazuma's reflexes, they're airborne before the missiles even have a chance to detonate - although all that would have hit them, it looks like, is the debris, or shrapnel or whatever, kicked out by those missiles. "Tch ..." Kazuma grits his teeth a bit as he starts taking fresh stock of the situation ... which is continuing to evolve. "Blast it -" The Valhawk snap-rolls out of its current inverted flight, and he starts banking in the general direction of the opening hangar. "Great, just great ... go figure that whoever was in here was just waiting for company to show up *before* they roll out the welcome mat. Mihiro! Gimme a count as quick as you can, and make sure we're using the encrypted frequency from here on in!"

"Got it!" Mihiro answers.

Kazuma Ardygun's Valhawk transforms into its Air Force Valhawk mode.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "So there *was* a welcoming committee ..."

This really isn't all that unexpected.

"Kamina, let's dig." Simon says and, without warning, swings himself up using the lasso to send his own machine spinning into the air where he combines presently with Gurren Lagann in a particularly impressive combination sequence--that is cut short by a missile exploding.

"Going down!" Simon shouts, using his control sticks to form a drill and drive into the ground before too much damage gets done to the Gurren Lagann, the hole is large enough that the other Trailers can use it as cover should they show desire.

This is kind of the opposite for digging to the heavens, it seems like he might be heading for HELL instead.

"We'll try to dig past their lines, so they can't hit us with any more traps--" He suggests to his bro.

Simon activates his Gurren-Lagann unit.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Alexis says, "This is the Equinox here...I'm detecting multiple new marks entering the engagement area, but they aren't broadcasting any IFF signal that I recognize. Can I confirm friend/foe status on them?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Like an ocean..."

Suddenly, missiles! Lots of them! Staren tries to shoot some down with his laser and his own missiles as the Star Hawk rapidly jumps back to the mouth of the cave and then out of the way to let the missiles go past. "Amuro! Macua! Are you alright?!"

It's always something, isn't it? When the rockets come flying, Marcus quickly jukes his machine and twists his torso out of the way. One of the bazooka shells skims just across his back before blowing up further down the tunnel, "Shit!" He cues up his comline as the Atlas starts to jog deeper into the city. "Everyone out of the entrance way! Spread out! We're sitting ducks all bunch up like this in the door way!" When the new contacts pop up, Marcus instinctively heads for cover and maneuvers his heavy 100 ton Battlemech down into an alley way, so he isn't sitting in the open with a big SHOOT ME sign on his face. "Damnit, who the hell are these guys?"

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Solis! If you're going to zone out on machine song, at least give us some useful intel!"

The city is quiet. There is, for the moment, no sign of... anything. It's the sort of ghost town you only hear about in old movies or stories around the campfire, and always the kind meant to scare the listener. The only real sound is the wind coming in from the tunnel, stirring up the occasional charred remains of a newspaper and little else. It might be peaceful if it wasn't so... empty.

Something stirs, deeper in the city. The dim, barely audible sound of metallic footsteps echoing through the cavernous interior. The location is impossible to pinpoint in this place, even with the lack of other sound... At first, anyway. The rain of missiles creates a deafening roar, and the sudden noise is taken full advantage of.

A grey, humanoid shape suddenly drops from above, emerging from the blackness and touching down in an intersection directly ahead of the group. It carries some form of rifle in its right hand, and has a metal attachment shaped like a coffin lid (some form of shield?) attached to its left arm above the hand. A thin band of purple rings the top of its shoulders, and a red gleam from a single optic on a head with a forward-pointed fin mounted on top glows menacingly in the darkness.

"Nuisances." A grim, agitated voice speaks over a radio with a slight metallic echo to it, as if on an old radio. Some might find it familiar.

"You don't /get/ another warning."

As the other mobile weapons begin to march, the Armored Core jumps straight up, swinging the rifle around and firing energy bolts in a line in front of the advancing mechs. It starts flying backwards on its boosters and veers down a side street, out of sight again.

The line in the ground glows an angry red.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "I am working on it, Kazuma...it is hard to gleam the entirity of a symphony from a few hummed notes..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "Can you multitask this with helping if it's going to be a while?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent distantly, "Yes...I can...but....so much noise..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "I wish I had the Hostis." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Look, if you're searching for a power source, head towards heat." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "I know how it is for some reason when I'm in a fight I hear people chanting 'row row fight the power' a lot but you shouldn't let it distract you too much." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "A power source is one thing, Reimaru. I see for....the throne...." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "The metronome that puts all in time..."

Macua Huitl radios back to Banjo and Amuro. "The company that owned this place was called Chrome. They dealt in Armored Cores, parts, weapons, lesser ACs known as MT, low-end drone units. That sort of thing, but something happened to bring the Raven's Nest down on em. Don’t know what, happened but the name coming up put the Raven's on edge. So long as the tech down here isn't nightmare fuel I don't see any problem Banjo."

"I agree is there is someone down here that's been stuck? They need a lift also if it informs of to why no one's here it might be the best."

WARNING Ranking AC detected.

AC ID'ed as Sledgehammer Last known pilot, Boss Savage.

Macua's machine springs into action and agrees with Marcus as her machine floors it trying to get away from the knot of other machines. It would just leave everyone open to Boss Savages attack.

"Armored Cores unknown model unknown type, I never seen that configuration before Banjo. What the hell did we just wake up. Also I’m fine Staren."

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Well make sure to keep your head under cover while you search!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Juku Reimaru transmits, "The control center then. If a city that big has a nerve center it should put out a lot of EMF." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "Good suggestion, love. I'll see what I can find."

Sly kept the Poltergeist near the edge of the city borders, and so when suddenly missiles and mechs start coming out from everywhere, he's in a slightly better position to deal with it. The Poltergeist's railgun is raised to shoot down the missiles that are sent his way, while his shield intercepts whatever slips past his point defense.

The situation rapidly deteriorates as Sly takes his mech into the city to use the burned-out buildings as cover. A large volume of smaller mechs appear on his scope, and bigger ones are also suddenly tearing though the area. "Wow," Sly transmits on an open channel as his mech darts into the streets, doing what he can to avoid contact, "How long have you been building up out here? Also, who in the /HELL/ are you guys? Actually, just put this all under a big 'what the hell' blanket, alright?"

Alright, so quick analysis: They've got a lot of marks, including a lot of smaller mobile suits and possibly a handful of larger units that look like cores. Retreat seems like a pretty good option, considering that there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to actually stay and fight other than a primal 'take that, bitches!' instinct. However, everybody else seems to be advancing, so what the hell. All other things being equal, open area favors the one with numbers, so Sly heads to group with the others who are heading inside.

"I don't make spambots," Amuro Ray protests. This is true; his /company/ does. "And what do you mean 'these black things', are you being a racist?" Now he's just being a petty little bitch, but what do you expect. He had an entire can of Haro Brand Light Beer. He's nearly dead drunk!

"Woah!" he shouts, as the tunnel is suddenly filled with munitions. "/Woah/!" he repeats, popping open the Rick Dias' head and firing the vulcan phalanx into the oncoming bazooka rounds. One after another explode before they can reach his juncture, but he is forced backwards, towards the city, with each volley. "Who the hell would-- ah, never mind!"

The White Devil listens to Macua's explanation of what is happening, and sighs. He hates dealing with mercenaries, and the Core Jockeys have gotten douchebaggery down to a fine art in his opinion. The Rick Dias bursts out into the city, flying over Marcus' head and landing atop a garage-building, gaining a vantage point. The red mobile suit drops to its belly, protecting the cockpit and lowering its profile as the Newtype Ace scans the city.

"Anyone got an ID on these squads?"

The frequencies rasp, and a voice calls out to the first. "You c---. Boss. We go together or w---" The static comes and goes, warping between the various units that have gathered on the edge of the tunnel.

A flash of pink, the burn of thrusters. The smoke trail that's left as it goes. "Don't go so far ahead." The radio is clear, this time. "You'll damage it if you fire blindly."

From behind a taller building, the modified handgun, PIXIE3 is raised. "There's --- many --bound." While Stinger appears like a ghost, Sumika simply acts like one. Reverse jointed legs on the pink body compress - firing off, launching it into the air.

"I want you gone. This isn't the place for you." The voice, female, strictly commands. Stray shots are fired towards the entrance to the tunnel. Quick bursts that were keeping it up redirected to send it backwards. It weaves in and out of the landscape, armored only with, what seems, a small machine gun.

"--- them to closer."

"We didn't /have/ racism on Mars," Banjo indignantly replies. There's basically nothing that he can do about all the munitions fire but, you know, soak it; luckily, he's in a tank, so it kinda works out. The drill stops spinning a few times as motors are knocked out of joint, but sooner rather than later, the mountainside rumbles once again as with one final thrust of the Daitank's engines, the Invincible Steel Tank is at the outskirts of Isaac City.

And then it's speeding towards it, towards the red line in the ground, which he will drive right past without a care.

"Man," he mutters as it's approached, "what are these guys, five?"

Kamina hears nods as Simon makes his request. The sudden appearance of goons and missiles changes things. The Gurren quickly combines with the Lagann, disappearing into the ground as soon as Simon takes control.

"Hell with that! We up in the middle of them and we smash our way through! We let them see us pound them!" Kamina suddenly pulls back on the controls, directing the Gurren Lagann to go up toward the middle of the enemy squad above them. To hell with trickery! This was a fight! That means you both show your real power straight off!

The Gurren Lagann erupts in the middle of a group of mechs, attempting to start poking holes with as many drills as possible. "CIRCLE SPIN DRILLER!!!!"

COMBAT: Kamina has attacked Epyon. Circle Spin Driller added to their queue. COMBAT: Kamina has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Circle Spin Driller.

The explosions top side cause the EFA's team of TSFs to suddenly move into a combat stance, those carrying shields move to form defense for the team. "Shit! It's a trap?!" yell one pilot. "Trap or not, we're too lightly armored to survive that rain of missiles." Meiya comment, her mouth drawing into a thin line. "We advance inward, we have mobility on our side and can make use of cover in there."

The half plane-mechs turns and engage their engines to skim through the empty city streets, the shield baring ones always maintaining a wall between he squad and the enemy. Meiya's purple machine slides around the corner of a building and draws out it's assault rifle. "One Trailer amchien moving ahead." "Keep an eye on him." Meiya replies "We're progressing deeper inside. Stick to three-man groups at all costs, don't get caught alone."

The TSFs come out of their cover, progressing down the street in teams. Meiya's team takes up the rear, her own machine spins around and hovers backwards as she raises her machine gun, firing off a burst at the pink Armored Core.

COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has attacked Sumika. 87 Style Assault Gun added to their queue.

Archangel looks over to Macua, before he starts to make his way down further. <<"Because these doors have been sealed for a long time. Who ever these research group is unlocked them somehow.">> He readies his weapon, taking notice of the other groups of people here. There-- was far more then just trailers here and this caused him to take a momentary pause in the tunnel.

<<"To units of other faction tag, what brings you here to Siberia? We Trailers were sent here to track down a lost research team.">>

Then-- all hell broke loose!

The White AC blasts down the tunnel using his Overboosts, mostly to avoid the reign of fire, his AI piping up. ::"Three ACs detected. Former Ranked ACs. Pulling up information."::

"Negative.. I don't need the information.. I know their voices." Archangel told his AI as he stayed behind the building, watching his radar like a hawk.

Gabriel remained now radio silent. If anything Archangel was surprised to see them here, but why here? Were they hired-- no wait.. they been gone for awhile.. haven't they? What-- was going on?

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "Arch do you know a ranking Raven named Boss Savage? I just picked up his machine and he's opening fire." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Yes.. and yes"

The powdered cement roiling from the tunnel mouth has yet to die down. Through it, the shadow of a heavily armored machine stomps into the city cavern proper. Amazingly, despite the bulk for its core build, it ignites thrusters. Though the shots on its ponderous bulk might be easy to make, it is a machine that can survive long enough to destroy any that stand against it.

"What did I tell y'all? Missiles are the perfect martial art. I studied bazooka for most of my life. I am a black belt in blowin' shit up."

From the launcher racks on its shoulders, at least a dozen warheads shriek out, spiraling smoke contrails as they seek targets seemingly chosen by whim. The explosions, even if they do not hit, mark out a large letter "B."

"THE BLACK BELT IS MADE OF ROCKET CASINGS! OHHHHH YEEEAHHHHH!"

COMBAT: Boss Savage has attacked Amuro Ray, Banjo Haran, and Marcus Gunter. Missile Rain added to their queue. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Missile Rain attack. COMBAT: Boss Savage has struck a minor hit on Banjo Haran's Daitank using Missile Rain. COMBAT: Boss Savage has struck a minor hit on Marcus Gunter's AS7-D Atlas using Missile Rain. COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has missed Boss Savage with his Thunderstroke SRM-6 counter attack.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "... who's the missile-crazy guy?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Boss Savage." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "We have 3 ACs in here. I-- haven't seen them in awhile.."

The squads of AC mobile suits begin to spread throughout the city. The first four squads are soon joined by a fifth and sixth squad. It is one of these squads that Sly Heckler transmits to over an open frequency. That squad stops in the middle of the street they're marching down and slowly begin to track where the transmission originated from. Their heads turn in unison toward the building that Heckler is using for cover.

They might have opened a frequency in response to Sly, except that the Gurren Lagann promptly smashes down in the middle of that same group and begins to drive drills into their chests. The first few mobile suits the Gurren stabs at explode with little fanfare.

But after the first two explode, the rest turn and open fire on Kamina and his Gurren Lagann.

COMBAT: Epyon has attacked Kamina. MT Artillery added to their queue. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a solid hit on Kamina's Gurren Lagann using MT Artillery. COMBAT: Kamina has counter attacked for a minor critical hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Drill Upper.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Tch ... Kamina, Simon, you guys want some cover fire?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "Allow me to help you out!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Just-- becareful.. and if you see a white AC-- a White, thin, fast AC-- avoid him at all cost!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...still...looking..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "White and Thin? Got it. What's the machine's name?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Anything else we should know before we demolish this city for a second time?"

The grey AC's speed keeps it from being an easy target, both in terms of visual recognition and any form of weapons lock. It's thrusters echo in the city street, and it sounds like it's going in four different directions all at once.

This could be problematic.

The Armored Core rockets down a side road, cutting across the main street with a flash of its engines and a sudden brightness that explains the purpose of the 'shield' on its left arm: it's a laser blade, and an unusual design at that. The Noblesse Oblige abruptly gets a first-hand view of it, the unique twin-bladed design sweeping across its front while it goes at absolutely ludicrous speeds into the city streets.

It disappears for a moment again, and then emerges from the skyline. The Armored Core lightly touches off the roof of the building Solis just landed on, the laser blade flashing again and moving to rip the side off of the Seraph as it tries to move deeper into the city. It's a quick motion, accompanying the pilot's second sudden turn, not lingering nearby but, perhaps, giving him pause.

It finally appears one last time, diving right at Gabriel. The red mono-eye glows, brightening for a split second, perhaps in recognition, mirroring it's pilot's thoughts.

More likely it's a target lock. Vixen--for that is indeed the name of the Armored Core, finally in sight long enough to identify--intends to decapitate the Gabriel before it can get going.

"I didn't think you were this stupid, 'R'," Stinger remarks, the sneer audible in his voice. "Not enough deaths in your tally yet?"

COMBAT: Stinger has attacked Leonhardt, Archangel, and Solis Vivent. TAROS Spin added to their queue. COMBAT: Stinger has struck a minor critical hit on Leonhardt's Noblesse Oblige using TAROS Spin. COMBAT: Leonhardt has counter attacked for a minor hit on Stinger's Vixen using Obligation. COMBAT: Stinger has missed Archangel with his TAROS Spin attack. COMBAT: Archangel has missed Stinger with his WG-AR1000 counter attack. COMBAT: Stinger has struck a solid hit on Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Suit Mode using TAROS Spin.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Heh. We got this."

"Cute, a Merc who's mouth is as big as his missile tubes!" Marcus transmits as he steps out of cover and takes aim with his Thunderstroke SRM. The rockets fired his way splash off of the 'Mech's left shoulder, fragmenting armor but failing to penetrate. Marcus coolly pulls the trigger- Ammunition Depleted "GOD ****ING DAMNIT! I thought I had that bloody glitch fixed!" Marcus rages as his heavy foot slams into the console, shuddering the cockpit. Furious, the aging Mechwarrior switches over to his Medium Lasers and snaps up one of the Atlas' wrist. A crimson red beam of light leaps forth from the barrel, flash heating armor and concrete where it hits. "I'm gonna enjoy pounding your face boy!"

COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has attacked Boss Savage. Hellion-V Medium Laser added to their queue. COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has struck a solid hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Hellion-V Medium Laser. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Marcus Gunter with his Missile Launcher counter attack.

"There are too many hostile ACs, oniichan!" Mihiro reports, shaking her head. "I can't get a positive count, especially with all the buildings in the way!"

Kazuma shakes his head, "Never mind the exact count, then - switch to targeting mode, we're dropping to help out Simon and Kamina! Brace yourself!"

The Valhawk stops looping and circling over the buildings and dives between two skyscrapers, initially pointing straight down before Kazuma pulls out of it in a strafing run, pouring Laser Vulcan fire into some of the hostile Armored Cores that were heading for Gurren Lagann. "Whoever these guys are," Kazuma remarks, "they may be Ravens but they don't know much about Trailers ... !"

COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has attacked Epyon. Laser Vulcan added to their queue.

"Don't have racism on-- are you... that's a joke, right?" Amuro Ray trails off into a mutter, looking over the edge of the garage-building to see the approach of the mammoth Core. He frowns, trying to shake off the drunken haze. "Whatever, let's just destroy this guy and get out of this clumsy trap. Maybe find out the why of it, even."

He doesn't sound terribly hopeful of that last. Though maybe they'll get lucky and the 'villain' will be a monologuer. 'Boss Savage' lets loose with more bazooka blasts, and several come Amuro Ray-ward. Naturally, he gets the hell out of dodge, goosing the rapidly-aging mobile suit's thrusters and rolling off the edge. The Rick Dias tumbles for about a dozen meters, seemingly out of control, then flips upright and lands skillfully on the street. Without pausing, it launches into a run towards the next-nearest cover. Amuro pulls out the second beam pistol and opens fire, strafing the huge AC and adding his own particle blasts to Marcus' lasers. At the last second, he dives, hitting and rolling behind a low, wide structure.

COMBAT: Amuro Ray has attacked Boss Savage. Twin Beam Pistols added to their queue. COMBAT: Amuro Ray has struck a major hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Twin Beam Pistols. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Missile Launcher counter attack.

The muzzle flash from Meiya's machine gun is a brief light in the darkness. They return to the darkness, the grey colored projectiles shooting through the air far too fast to follow, giving birth to light once again as they grind against the Ariake's armoring.

Side thrusters fire, the machine jerking to the side, into an alley way. The feet land hard, the momentum sliding it against the aged concrete, grinding into the metal. Sparks shoot up, though they are brief, the legs compressing and releasing once again, sending the pink armored core in a surprisingly quick upwards climb.

"If they only listened for once." Sumika's voice almost sounds disappointed.

Missiles streak through, crashing around them - and providing the perfect opportunity to come out. "You should have just left." The acceleration upwards begins to stall, the acceleration down building, thrusters firing it towards the forces, now that they found themselves deep enough.

Of course they'd follow. The PIXIE3 machine gun opens fire onto Meiya's forces, but the Armored Core seems to miss her - instead focusing on pinning down her group, or even disabling them. Stray shots might catch her, the PIXIE three being brought upwards, swept to Macua, as the Ariake quick-boosts forwards, leaving Macua's 'defense' to fail.

Staren's right out in the open, the last of the clip depleting into clicks, spent casings falling to the city's asphalt.

"R," Stinger isn't the only one to remember him. "I remember when they listened."

COMBAT: Sumika has attacked Macua Huitl, Meiya Mitsurugi, and Staren Wiremu. Machine Gun Strafe added to their queue. COMBAT: Sumika has missed Meiya Mitsurugi with her Machine Gun Strafe attack. COMBAT: Sumika has missed Macua Huitl with her Machine Gun Strafe attack. COMBAT: Macua Huitl has counter attacked for a minor hit on Sumika's Ariake using Zap.

Solis' Nineball lands on another building, crouching down... Solis peers around, the motions being duplicated by his machine... "...where...," he murmurs to himself... He debates leaving the Nineball, to increase his ability to search the individual buildings, but decides against it.. He leaves engaging the strange flood of enemies to the others, at least for the moment, as he attempts to hear a stronger machine song, or find a communication tower to allow him to work one of his strange rituals of divination.

"...But...but it's a pincer formation, it's classic--waaahh!!" Kamina redirects the machine and Simon has to actually help him lest they get buried under the rubble. Oh god oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.

As the Gurren Lagann bursts out INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMN GROUP, the Gurren Lagann is near immediately besieged by weapons-fire. Simon tries to defend by manipulating one of the drills but Kamina has the other one working himself, making the whole issue rather complicated. Shit, Simon thinks, shit shit shit.

"We're responding to the SOS!" Waahh!!" He sees a mech sneaking up and swings a Gurren fist at it. "Why are you attacking us?! AAAHHHRRTILLERY?!" KABAM!!

"I... hold on...!!" A mech leaps for the gurren Lagann and he uppercuts it (minus drill) away from his machine's body. While Kamina is full offense, Simon is trynig to direct the mech to a more defense maneuvering system, resulting in a kind of epileptic fighting style.

COMBAT: Simon has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Simon has attacked Epyon. Drill Punch added to their queue.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "His name is Stinger-- damnit!"

Cores know how to fight Cores. That's just a fact of life. When you spend your whole life as a Raven, you know how to take down the guys you are most likely to come into contact with. So when the shot streaks out at Noblesse Oblige, Leonhardt jerks his arm up, the heavy machine's targeting system locking onto Stinger as his powerful rifle Obligation rises. Stinger's shots ping off the Primal Armor field, soaked by the spread of blue energy; minimal damage to the attenuation, Leonhardt notes in the back of his mind as he raises the rifle.

Locked on target...fire!

The shot streaks out, a single shot from a single-shot rifle, but still a good, strong, well-aimed shot.

But Leonhardt's not done yet. He's already targeting the nearest movement centers, the cockpit targeting system in his eyes beeping like R2-D2 on a bender. Once he's acquired a lock, both arms of Noblesse Oblige swing out to support the rifle, and he squeezes out three powerful slugs - one for each leg and one for the chest. He was hoping to put that Stinger down, hard and fast before the guy could cause any serious damage to anyone nearby.

<<"Archangel, are you alright?>>

COMBAT: Leonhardt has attacked Stinger. Punishing Obligation added to their queue. COMBAT: Leonhardt has struck a major hit on Stinger's Vixen using Punishing Obligation. COMBAT: Stinger has counter attacked for a minor hit on Leonhardt's Noblesse Oblige using DRAGON Rifle Snapshot.

"On the Haran estate, we--" Banjo begins to reply before explosions erupt all across the Daitank's body. The paint job is kind of mussed, and a spotlight is smashed, but none of this is troublesome enough to prevent the vehicle from beginning to open out and expand upwards as its entire configuration shifts. From tank to man, drill to walking PR opportunity; the CEO of the Haran Conglomerate is still kind of undecided on whether or not to, say, broadcast from his external sensors to the outside world, but maybe, if he can find a signal.

"Hey," he comms as Daitarn-3's upper body rises from the center of the tank's mass, "can you help us out, here? Tell us what the deal with this trap city is? Maybe give us some kinda inkling of your melting point? I'm thinking that when we're done, we're gonna go for drinks, and whoever does the least amount’s structural damage is buying the first round." On that note, Banjo downs a freshly prepared martini, then flips his visor into place.

"Thanks in advance." He clears his throat, draws in a deep breath. "SUN!"

The metal-covered lens on Daitarn-3's forehead is partly revealed, courtesy of a tiny dilation at its center, and with a cry of, "LAAAAAAAASEEEEER!" a ray of solar energy lances from it in a wobbly arc aimed at Boss Savage's chest.

Banjo Haran's Daitarn 3 transforms into its Daitarn 3 mode. COMBAT: Banjo Haran has attacked Boss Savage. Sun Laser added to their queue. COMBAT: Banjo Haran has struck a solid hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Sun Laser. COMBAT: Boss Savage has counter attacked for a minor hit on Banjo Haran's Daitarn 3 using Missile Launcher.

The Red optic of Gabriel looks directly at Stinger, he also heard Sumika's voice-- he heard Boss Savage's insanity loves of his explosions. Archangel inside couldn't help but frown behind his helmet. "Why.."

Then Stinger came with his attack, Gabriel quickly avoided and attempted to strike back, but misses the faster AC pilot. <<"Sumika, Stinger!">> Archangel calls out over his radio to them, then even contacts Boss Savage, <<"Why are you doing this? Who hired you? Where are you hiding them?">> The AC pilot then continues to skid back, then keeps his visual on Stinger, and directs the next to him, <<"..and my body count will never equal yours..">>

Then switches his comm to Leon, <<"Yea, I-I'm fine.">>

COMBAT: Archangel has attacked Stinger. WG-AR1000 added to their queue. COMBAT: Archangel has struck a solid hit on Stinger's Vixen using WG-AR1000. COMBAT: Stinger has counter attacked for a minor critical hit on Archangel's Gabriel using TAROS Dual-Blade Swipe.

Unfortunately for Solis, he's too busy with attempting to 'hear' that he fails to notice the attack rushing in on him. No defense is given, no attempt to dodge... Stinger's blade strikes cleanly at the Seraph, severing the beam saber arm of the nineball and sending the arm flying off in flames. Solis grunts sharply at the sudden strike, "...blast and damnit..." Power is rerouted as the Seraph leaps forth again, firing a few dissuading shots after Stinger as he attempts to gain distance, "...I don't have time for you!"

COMBAT: Solis Vivent has attacked Stinger. Beam Rifle added to their queue. COMBAT: Solis Vivent has struck a major hit on Stinger's Vixen using Beam Rifle.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "-- what's Daitarn 3 doing here?!"

Sly is somewhat surprised by a fire warning on his scope, although the shots aren't aimed at him. However, the enemies are much closer than he had thought. These buildings are messing with his scope as well. He switches his radar to active mode as he pulls his mech around, circling the building to try and flank the troops attacking Kamina. "Not the talkative type? I guess I can understand that."

The Poltergeist raises its railgun at the troops and fires a few shots into the number as Sly adds, "Verbal communication is overrated anyway. Let's see if this gets the message that you jerks should go the hell away any better." Sly doesn't completely take his mech out from under cover, but just moves out from behind the building enough to bring his railgun to bare on a few of the units. His goal isn't really to kill them so much as split their attention between himself and the much larger Gurren Lagann.

COMBAT: Sly Heckler has attacked Epyon. Railgun added to their queue.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Who knows, who cares, just as long as he doesn't shoot at us!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Mihiro Ardygun transmits, "Looks like he's engaging Boss Savage too ... !" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Do not destroy this city! We have a mission to complete." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Something's wrong..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Outside Stinger, Boss Savage, and Sumika are here?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Simon transmits, "Um why /is/ everybody shooting at us?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Hey Sly! Lets pound these guys!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Check that, Kamina. I've got you covered." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Something... Is... Wrong... R..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Most likely they were hired to do some kinda mission and it probably-- goes against our mission.. but.." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "We're getting ambushed by a whole city that should be abandoned but is full of robots trying to kill us for no reason. What /isn't/ wrong out here?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Wildcat is right, something here is not right." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "The salvage?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Then someone figure out what is wrong." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...They... Sumika, Stinger, and Boss Savage... don't... They don't... /feel/ right..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "I'm attempting to...but whenever I pause, someone slices off portions of my engine." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "Can't we just pay them a counter offer or something then." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, ".... wait a sec. We were under the impression this place was abandoned, and clearly it *isn't* ..."

Macua Huitl radios to Archangel. "I saw the posting and we thought wed come take a look. Also a complex like this has interesting things. Perhaps things that should be made sure they stay buried." Macua has been trying to get away from the pack which the three AC pilots, as some engage. She realizes nothings going well here. She does avoid trying to open fire, and keeps scuttling though the buildings and replies to banjo.

"That was a joke right or I'll ask what Mars are you from? No offense Banjo."

Macuas eyes narrow as her computer brings up the locations of the various SOS calls. Wait those mobile units? The ones that scrambled are the ones giving off the calls? She raises an eyebrow at this and she then comes under fire, she counter fires at the other machine quickly with the laser rifle and tries to get back to cover.

She does send a general radio to those looking into this place.

"the SOS signals are all coming from the black AC units that launched if my computers reading it right! What is going on here." Macua is going to try to get away Sumika if she can she's trying to figure out what the hells going on here. She may punch Kamina later though. She does radio to Meiya and Staren.

"Any ideas whats going on? I’m going to try to go deeper in my self!"

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Either they came in after we got the intel we based this mission on, or ... they were here the whole time and it was a set-up?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "The black AC's are the source of the SOS signal." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt idly observes, "Anyone who couldn't see that a mysterious job offer with a mysteriously high pay to excavate a mysterious sealed underground city was a set up, please raise your hand." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Something here wants us." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Great. Time to make 'em regret baiting us in!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kamina transmits, " Wait? These guys we're punching are the SOS Signal?!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "..." Voice alters somewhat--no more pauses. "Where is Stinger?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "I agree with Solis. Don't hurt those ACs to much.. and whatever you do-- Don't damage the cores!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "For what? Are they just trolling? Cast out a fake SOS and see who you can catch? This is a pretty elaborate trap just for that. We're missing a piece of the puzzle here." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Mihiro Ardygun transmits, "Could it have been Chrome trying to lure some enemies in?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Chrome went under--" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "I hear a song." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "The company who took them is now part of the Alliance party." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Perhaps they grew lonely without their masters." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "There is no reason for Chrome to do this.. and if they were just after to screw people, it just be us Ravens." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "Geeze, so is the sort of it that we should stop fighting these guys?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "I wouldn't." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "I don't know-- I'm trying to talk to these three guys and find out what the heck is going on." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "I think you'll have a hard time convincing them to stop fighting as well." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Wildcat, find my location, you'll find Stinger." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "**** no! They're shooting at us, and I don't let people shoot at my 'Mech without answering for it!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "Acknowledged. En-route."

"Simon! Fights aren't about formations! They are about the power in your arms! Lets show these guys our Strength!" Kamina speaks as he maneuvers the legs of the red Gunmen, covering while Simon gets ready to punch. When one AC tries to attack, Kamina swings another drill punch, attempting to break it with a swift blow.

"Tch. These guys aren't the SOS! These punks probably are picking the people who called us!" Kamina yells back at Simon, keeping the Gurren Lagann moving. "Heh. THAT JUST MEANS WE GET TO HIT THEM HARDER!!!"

After Simon's punch, the Gurren Lagann takes another step, attempting use a drill to stab through as many enemy ACs at possible. "THIS HOW BROTHERS FIGHT DRILL STABBER!!!"

Even while the radio talks of these guys being the good guys, Kamina doesn't stop just yet.

COMBAT: Kamina has attacked Epyon. Drill Bullet added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Talk fast, Arch. We can't afford to let them build up momentum out here." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "I need to find a communication's center....a logic engine, something..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Someone go with Solis.. he may find the source to this." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Try to get the other ACs down." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "I'll find him... after I see Stinger..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Knock them over, tie them up.. and don't get in Wildcat's way." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "and yes.. I know you can't really tie up an AC.. but-- gah.. Just make sure they can't go anywhere." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Tch, you're joking, right? Does this look like a precision machine to you?!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Don't tell me you guys have never trained for disabling a mech without killing it? Disable the legs, hit the main hip gyros..If you get a clear shot, you can sometimes cut though the armor and disable the power core without cooking the mech off." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "I'm working on that right now!"

The Sledgehammer continues to rise, its missile launcher racks primed and raring to go. All this nancy "shooting back at him" is about as important as anything not related to missiles. The armored core blithely soaks all these stupid non-exploding attacks. Amuro's pinpoint beam fire splashes across its chest but fails to murder anyone inside the cockpit, and while Marcus' MLasers do severe damage to the core's right leg, its flight is unaffected. Anything above 0 is A-OK, ha ha ha!

The much vaunted Sun Laser, however, is dangerous. Boss Savage recognizes even this inferior unexploding weapon should be dealt with seriously. Like any sane man, he shoots fifty nine seperate missiles at it. The constant stream of warheads plow fearlessly into the beam, refracting its power with every impact, so when it finally hits the Sledgehammer it does almost nothing. Boss Savage is kind of a bad shot so a lot of the missiles go flying wildly at Amuro and Marcus too.

"MISSILES IN THE MORNING!"

The Sledgehammer lands roughly on top of a building, peering over the edge. Its racks reload.

"MISSILES IN THE EVENING!"

The Rick Dias gains Boss Savage's hammer-like attention. The hammer needs to be dropped. Rick Dias sounds like "nail" if you have a heavy accent. Amuro needs to be hammered. By the hammer. The hammer is Boss Savage. The "fire missiles" button is so itchy it needs pressing so many times.

"MISSILES AT SUPPERTIME! WHEN MISSILES'RE ON THE TABLE... YOU CAN HAVE..."

COMBAT: Boss Savage has attacked Amuro Ray. Missiles Anytime added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Training is one thing, applying it in the middle of combat is something else!"

"Evasive! Shields!" Is Meiya's response to Sumika's Ariake suddenly jumping high into the air. The shield bearing Type-97s turn around mid hover and close ranks behind their fellows as the others go into wild zigzagging courses. It's like watching fighter jets maneuver, only on the ground. The bullets tearing up the roadway around them or reflecting off the curved combat shields.

"You can offer one hand while arming the other, but once you pull the trigger you've thrown away your pretense of diplomacy." She switches radio channels, broadcasting to her squad, Macua and Staren. "They're going to use the rooftops to try to attack from our blind spot. Take the next right and zigzag our way in deeper, get above them if you can." The Takemikazuchi's head turns to look at two of her squad-mates. "You two, with me."

The squad collectively power-slides around the next corner, hard and fast. Once they're around the corner, Meiya and her two wing man increase their jet's output, jumping high up off the ground and towards the rooftops where they set down behind cover and open fire on their pursuer.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Anyway Arch...I'll go over Solis. Kamina, you going to be alright if I break off?"

Wildcat had frozen.

There's no other explanation for his inaction thus far.

When Boss Savage had shown up and blasted the crap out of where they'd been congregating, Wildcat didn't react. Could it have been the shock of seeing another older Raven after so long? Maybe...

Red had advanced into Isaac City with the others, boosting behind cover and regathering his senses. Being only half-PLUS (or Cyber Newtype, as they're alternately called) and having a lot of powerful Newtypes around, he can't quite get a fix on any of the three 'enemy' AC's... though he does have an idea.

He takes a moment to radio over the Trailer channel, then Red suddenly boosts away from its current cover as it locks onto Gabriel's signal--which fortunately isn't too far away. <<"STINGER!">> He shouts the instant he gets close, Red's left hand raised as Wildcat focuses. There is one easy way to tell if he's right...

COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has attacked Sumika. Squad tactics - Covering fire added to their queue. COMBAT: Amuro Ray has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Missiles Anytime attack. COMBAT: Amuro Ray has counter attacked for a minor hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Single Beam Pistol. COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has struck a solid hit on Sumika's Ariake using Squad tactics - Covering fire. COMBAT: Sumika has missed Meiya Mitsurugi with her Kick counter attack. COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Laser Vulcan. COMBAT: Kamina has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Drill Bullet. COMBAT: Sly Heckler has struck a solid hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Railgun. COMBAT: Simon has struck a solid critical hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Drill Punch.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Solis, you got anything yet on what is going on?"

Isaac City goes from a tranquil city preserved under the Siberian tundra, into a war torn city being blasted by both defenders and attackers alike. The group of three Armored Core pilots that mysteriously appeared do as much damage to the city as anything else as those responders to the S.O.S. begin to open fire on the units now roaming the city.

Two other squads are now engaged by the allied forces. The Valhawk, as piloted by Kazuma, dives down from the skies and begins to open fire in a strafing pattern at one of the squads. A good half of the squad explodes under the onslaught of the laser pulses fired from the Valhawk's vulcans. The other half of the squad opens their missile pods and send off a burst of heat seeking missiles after Kazuma.

One mech in another squad just explodes seemingly out of nowhere. The squad tries to track where the railgun shot came from.

Then there's drills, drills, and even more drills gone wild. The squad of AC mobile suits seemingly are nothing more than radio or AI controlled units. They don't respond to the questions posed by Simon or Kamina. They do, however, explode when drills are punched and shot at them. One of the drone AC units, however, has a speaker pod on its shoulder. The speaker pod comes to life as the rest of the squad opens fire with missiles.

"Unbelievable! You, Subject Name Here must be the pride of Subject Hometown Here!"

COMBAT: Epyon has attacked Kazuma Ardygun, Kamina, and Simon. Mechanized Guard Assault added to their queue. COMBAT: Epyon has missed Kazuma Ardygun with its Mechanized Guard Assault attack. COMBAT: Epyon has missed Kamina with its Mechanized Guard Assault attack. COMBAT: Kamina has missed Epyon with his Shades Boomerang counter attack.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...yes...I see something..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Stay in touch." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Solis, I'm headed for your position on...looks like vector 1-3-7. Or 13? Man I hate these stupid scopes. I'm coming up on your left and kinda' behind, alright?"

Once Vixen is out in the open, it becomes awfully easy to hammer away at it. The Armored Core's laser blade intersects momentarily with Gabriel's, deflecting the counterattack with one blade and suffering a black mark across the light grey armor for his trouble when his opponent gets a lucky shot in. He takes another quick swing, charging forward and jabbing it at the white AC, and then abruptly reversing direction and going high.

"You'll always be my lesser, R," Stinger transmits. "You know the score. We can talk about business once one of us is dead."

Vixen passes Red, getting a bit too close. Stinger jinks to the side, putting one hand through the side of a building and slowing himself to turn and flip around, hammered by the sudden shots from the NEXT. The precision hits really aren't; he moves enough that they only strike hardened armor, and darts up and over a slightly lower structure.

Wildcat gets no feeling from the AC. Nothing. He's sensed other Human PLUSes before; he should be able to 'feel' Stinger inside of Vixen's cockpit. It's like he just isn't there. "Wildcat," Stinger replies curtly. He comes in low--

The Noblesse Oblige is saved from a sudden, classic Death From Above maneuver at high speed by Solis getting a shot in at the side of the enemy AC. It spins out for one rotation and then comes around to face the NEXT, kicking both feet into the pavement and digging a trench as he stops. He waits just long enough to watch the glow of the Primal Armor around the NEXT, and then starts to hammer away at it with his DRAGON rifle, keeping his fire focused to punch right through it like it wasn't even there.

"They're advancing further in," he transmits to his allies. Savage is doing a fine job keeping some of them pinned. "Sumika, are you able to intercept?"

COMBAT: Epyon has struck a major hit on Simon's Gurren-Lagann using Mechanized Guard Assault. COMBAT: Simon has missed Epyon with his Drill Punch counter attack.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Noted. Assuming I can get away from the attacking engine, I will head towards the...yes..."

COMBAT: Stinger has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Stinger has attacked Leonhardt. DRAGON Rifle Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Leonhardt has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Stinger has struck a solid hit on Leonhardt's Noblesse Oblige using DRAGON Rifle Mastery. COMBAT: Leonhardt has missed Stinger with his Knighthood's Feather counter attack.

Solis Vivent's AC-013 Nine Ball Seraph transforms into its Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode mode.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "......" Shakily inhales. "...R..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Yes Wildcat? ..and what did you find Solis?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...That's... That's /not/ Stinger..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "What?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat growls and subsequently talks without pauses. "That's NOT Stinger! That's Vixen, his AC, but it's NOT Stinger piloting! There's nothing there!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "That-- that is impossible.."

The Sledgehammer lands on its roof /just/ as Daitarn-3 reaches its full height. It is about eye-level with Boss Savage's ordinance-loving self; those eyes are kind of glowing, but fortunately they don't shoot lasers or anything.

"What in the world," Banjo bites off as he sends Daitarn-3 backwards a few feet with a jet-assisted hop, "we've been ambushed by brain-damaged--damnit, this is gonna play /so bad/ to women. Amuro!"

The Invincible Man of Steel reaches behind itself to draw a glinting weapon of steel and Martian alloys from its hip. "Watch for debris! Daitarn!" In one flash of bright reflected light, the blade is brought to bear on the Sledgehammer; it's a horizontal stroke, so maybe that will minimize the damage that could be caused by, say, the building accidentally being cut in half. Should it hit, it will be followed by a second as the second best thing that Sozo Haran ever produced steps forward to slash again from the other direction. This one will come with a bright, sun-light flash from the solar exhaust vents in Daitarn's back.

"ZAMBAAAAAAAA!"

COMBAT: Banjo Haran has attacked Boss Savage. Daitarn Zamba Finale added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "I know MTs could be unpiloted, but-- not at this level.. that... is.. impossible.." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "I know what I sensed, R!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "..."

Leonhardt curses quietly as he becomes Primary Target Numero Uno for Vixen. He'd hoped to evade that, but with no other choice on the table, he's forced to push through, increasing PA Attenuation to cover his weak spots as the DRAGON rifle pelts in. One of the singularly powerful cannons on his back folds forward, and Leonhardt takes a single shot of concentrated Kojima Particles; the shot rockets past Stinger, exploding above the cave with the force of a lightning bolt.

"Blast," Leonhardt mumbles as his targeting system shifts to a triple mode, two more of the massive cannons fold forward; approximately half of his full complement. He wasn't screwing around anymore, that much is certain.

Each cannon begins to glow, power concentrating within the multiple attenuators that made up the three guns. They were great big sets of mirrors, and the Kojima Particles were sunlight.

For those following at home, that makes Stinger the ant.

Leonhardt depresses the trigger, three more of the lightning-like Kojima bolts striking towards Stinger's AC with unbelievable force. Whether they hit or miss, the explosion will be...

...impressive.

COMBAT: Leonhardt has attacked Stinger. Noble Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Leonhardt has struck a devastating critical hit on Stinger's Vixen using Noble Mastery.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "Half-PLUS I may be, but I know Stinger's presence! It's not in the Vixen, and I don't sense him!"

"I think this guy likes missiles," Amuro Ray muses, rubbing at his aching head. "Don't worry, Haran. I, at least, have no shame." The Newtype sighs, and reaches into the inside pocket of his rumpled suit jacket (he is wearing a suit). A patch is extracted. It has a smiling Haro face on the front. With a shudder, he slaps the patch onto his neck, and jerks into high alert mode. "Hrrrk! Gnnnah!" he gasps, as the Ray Industries SoberFast(R) Technology courses through his veins.

Side effects include incontinence, which is why it's lucky that The White Devil is also wearing Ray Industries AbsorbaFast Combat Boxers.

With the surge of clarity chasing the demons from his fuzzy brain, Amuro blurs into action. The beam pistol snaps off shot after shot, each one a percussive burst of light, followed by another percussive burst of light as the respective missile explodes in mid-air. One final snap sends a blast back into the huge Core's armor.

With a mechanical creak and a fiery grunt, the Rick Dias rushes into a dash, beam pistols firing snicker-snack, snicker-snack, splashing across the body of the armor... seeking, searching for a weak point. The bulky machine dives and rolls, snicker-snack, boosts to the side, snap-snap, does a sweet sideways handspring, blasty-blast, and lands on one foot atop a telephone box.

Somewhere, somewhen, an Asian action movie director gets an erection.

Still smoking from its lost arm, the Volacticus Cursor rises into the air, switching into a faster configuration as it launches off towards the center of the city...towards the building in the center, between several much taller buildings. He hears the song, loudest there. The thrumming beat of it... "Are you the caller, or the laud hailer...," Solis whispers. Text appears across allied HUDs, -I AM MOVING ON SUSPICIOUS SONG SOURCE. COVER ME.-

Solis has no time for speech, he engages a connection to the Nineball, attempting to sooth its spirit through the jury-rigged interface, but it is not a manifold linkage, only a strange way to facilitate easier communion.. He does not fire back at Stinger, he has more important concerns, as he speaks in machine chant across the comm bands, words intelligible only by those who know the language of machines..

-I am Solis Vivent. I am Volacticus Cursor. The engine is the pilot, and the pilot the engine. Tell me of this strife. Sing to me your song. That peace may be given. And the service of machine may again be placed at the disposal of man.- -Execute.-

COMBAT: Amuro Ray has attacked Boss Savage. When Doves Cry added to their queue. COMBAT: Banjo Haran has missed Boss Savage with his Daitarn Zamba Finale attack. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Banjo Haran with his Missile Launcher counter attack. COMBAT: Amuro Ray has struck a major hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using When Doves Cry. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Missile Launcher counter attack.

The blast shakes the Ariake as it fires upon the other Armored Core, forcing the Ariake to fall back. Covering fire is laid upon the pink Armored Core as well, though it flies towards Meiya, and not away. The covering rain of fire manages to catch her - one of the reverse-jointed legs twisted towards the jet-plane.

Interference. She wouldn't make it to the target. She's too far up, the bullets are too slowing her down.

So she increases the thruster output. The reverse joint shoots straight up, almost a blur of pink, as she passes by the squad and Meiya, the climb violent but short, leaving the Ariake to hang in the air.

"You were warned about coming in." The missiles. The machine gun fire. The rifle line. "As regrettable as it is, you initiated this." The thrusters burn, glowing brighter as the AC hangs in the air. "You can still leave."

The radio message is received, "I'm on it, Stinger." The Armored Core suddenly shoots backwards, twisting around during the quick boost, the gathered thrusters shooting the pink core after the Nineball, Macua going too far in.

The overboost activates, having been charged, Sumika trying to charge down the stray Armored Core and crashing the single unit into the ground.

"Stay away from there." She commands, only after attempting to run her down. "That's not a place you really should be going."

COMBAT: Sumika has attacked Macua Huitl. Thruster Kick added to their queue. COMBAT: Sumika has missed Macua Huitl with her Thruster Kick attack.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent crackles, "0110100101101000011001010110000101110010011110010110111101110101"

Sly Heckler's Poltergeist didn't get much attention from the drones, so it's not hard for him to break contact when the tactical situation changes over the radio. He still has no idea what's going on, but it sounds like the others have a plan, so he's good to do his part. He pulls the Poltergeist back, launches into the air using his RefJets, and quickly hops though the city, weaving around the buildings.

Sly makes a point to avoid contacts, heading straight towards where Solis is moving. "Solis, I'm headed for your position on...looks like vector 1-3-7. Or 13? Man I hate these stupid scopes. I'm coming up on your left and kinda' behind, alright?" Stupid military jargon. Sly approaches as he says, moving in to cover Solis from a position a little behind, above and to the left of the Seraph.

As he does, Sly sweeps the area, acquiring some quick target locks, and fires off rounds of LRM missiles to help clear the area out. "Alright, I'm in position. Whatever you're going to so Solis, let's get it done."

COMBAT: Sly Heckler has attacked Epyon. LRM-15 Missiles added to their queue.

Archangel's AC gets impacted by the two blades. Scratching across Gabriel's surface, as his AC spins around and tries to track the much faster AC. It-- is nearly impossible, "..Damnit!" He says slamming his hand on the console inside of his AC.

Gabriel changes coarse, going down where some of the others are going, though he does find some units that are causing havoc and activates his missiles, <<"Oh shove it!">> He yells out and fires some missiles at the units, before he darts around what he can and attempts to go down deeper. If Wildcat was right-- what he heard on the radio...

He ignores Stinger for now.. and completely ignores Boss Savage, his attention turns to another AC. A former operator like himself, a great woman when it came to info.. if not back then.. a good looking woman.

How-- could this be happening?

<<"Sumika. Do you read me. You said they would not listen, what do you mean? Please tell me, Sumika. You know as well has I do, this isn't right. I know your not the kind to just go out and kill with no reason, please-- tell me.. at least what you can.. unless your being paid to be silent.. just anything..">> Archangel then gritted his teeth, "..and don't tell me your not real as well.."

COMBAT: Archangel has attacked Epyon. WM-X201 Missiles added to their queue.

"Incoming missiles!" Mihiro calls out.

"Don't these guys have anything ELSE?!" Kazuma mock-complains as he pulls out from between the buildings and opens the throttle all the way. The Valhawk promptly accelerates to a nearly break-neck speed, on a collision course with the dome --

And breaks off, making a better-than-ninety-degree turn, banking hard to port and skimming along the inside of the dome. The aerobatics are sufficient to evade the missiles' tracking - and the wash of the Valhawk's exhaust heats the wall enough to confuse the missiles into continuing to go straight, detonating against the wall. That may do bad things later on, but Kazuma did try not to lead them into a particularly load-bearing portion.

Kazuma steers back to where he was when the missiles were launched, coming in from the other direction this time and dropping between buildings to slightly above ground level, firing a series of shots from the Beam Shot Launcher to try and dispose of more hostile ACs. To Kazuma's further credit, he's trying to disable the ACs without nailing the cockpits in the process. The pilots ought to survive ... meaning they can potentially be questioned later, if anyone cares to do so.

COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has attacked Epyon. Beam Shot Launcher added to their queue.

"...You think these are drones?" Simon asks, confused. To be fair, he hasn't seen any bodies, these must be just robots and if THAT'S the case... "Well I don't know," He admits to his brother, "If they are or not, but I think it's okay to let loose--they're just drones, I think." Drones are even below beastmen on the sliding scale of 'oh god did we just kill someone'?! And that's pretty low.

He swings a fist but actually misses the drone because he's so relieved these are just drones and not for real people. Not that he'd not fight back against a for real person but he doesn't have to worry so much about accidentally causing another international incident because of Kamina's hotbloodedness.

Missiles collide into the Lagann, slamming Simon against the side of his portion of the machine. "Guh--hhnn... R, right--we've been surrounded before." Sometimes even on purpose too.

Simon draws out the Sunglasses and starts cleaving through drone machines, he has gotten used to using these with Rossiu as they make a good backup weapon.

"Hope this works slash!" He cries.

COMBAT: Simon has attacked Epyon. Shade Slasher added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat seems to've calmed down... slightly. "...If that isn't Stinger... the other two may not be... /them/... either..." He pauses. "...If their AC's are here... their pilots were too... at some point... we must... find /them/..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Castle transmits, "Please keep machine code off of the tactical band unless communicating with another pilot fluent in the language, Mr. Vivent." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "If they are still alive" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "Doesn't binary usually start with 1 anyway?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Castle explains, "I am not fluent in machine code." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "cause I mean there's no reason to start with a 0 because--" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "If anyone here, or if anyone we know has the ability, track down any bio signatures in the city. No matter how weak they are. If they are not any of us, then that means we have people here. If we have people here... then that may also tie in with our mission.. if not lead us to the source of the problem." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "...How did you know it didn't? It all sounds like he's feeding a cat though an engine block to me." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...I will try..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "'Cause 1 is 1, 10 is 2, 11 is 3... 100, 4. That's how it works right?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Nancy Osborne transmits, "This is the Equinox. We read you, Archangel. We will do a low-altitude sweep of the area and scan for any life signs we can pick up, and pipe the information to you. I can't make any promises that we'll get anything if they have any kind of shielding between the city and the surface, however." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt rattles off something in binary briefly, equating to 'focus'. <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Hey Leon-- what did Solis say?"

So, Mister Loudmouth likes his missiles, huh? Well, Marcus can comply with that. He switches weapons again as the Merc turns his attention to Amuro Ray, "Alright you explosive nutball, you like loud bangs? I got loud bangs!" Target lock tones echo through the cockpit as Marcus presses down on the trigger once more. In response, the hip mouthed Doombud LRM launcher spits fire and rocks that streak towards the Sledgehammer. 20 Missiles in all, just for Boss Savage!

COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has attacked Boss Savage. Doombud LRM-20 added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...I hear it..."

Red jinks away from Stinger's AC a second slower than Vixen does, but is saved from a very painful 'watch your back' reminder with the others landing hits on Stinger. Red spins 180-degrees and boosts backwards, Wildcat almost screaming into his radio what he had (not) sensed. That attempt was highly unsettling for the Raven, to have not sensed something he knew should have been there. Red doesn't stay in one place for long, however, instead spinning around once more and charging through the city again. It doesn't make any pot-shots, nor does it really do much other than avoid the firepower flying around--Wildcat's going to find out what happened to Stinger... and maybe the other two Ravens too, if his hunch is right.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...the song source...investigating..."

COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has struck a major critical hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Doombud LRM-20. COMBAT: Boss Savage has counter attacked for a minor hit on Marcus Gunter's AS7-D Atlas using Missile Launcher.

"HUP!"

The Sledgehammer jumps up, arms raised.

"HUP!"

Once again, the Sledgehammer dodges the Daitarnormous blade with precision drilled jumping jacks!

"Don't you get it? It's like Gabriel said... unless that sword is made out of missiles, you'll never defeat... THE SLEDGEHAMMER!"

The armored core makes another taunted jump, putting it just in range for Amuro to place a few solid beam pistol shots right into the side of its left missile rack. The Sledgehammer goes tumbling head over feet, crashing through the side of the building and bouncing off the structure across the street, plummeting to the street below. The smoke clears so dramatic that you'd swear it was a movie.

In it... SLEDGEHAMMER KAI. It now has a bazooka. It gleams with the fierce promise of painful explosions. The Atlas-thrown LRM barrage arcs valiantly into the core, but its raised hand seems to be the match of the assault. The armor plating groans and distorts, probably crippling the Sledgehammer's left arm for the rest of the fight, but it grabs one of the rockets and throws it right back at Marcus's machine. The half-ignited thruster does the rest.

"There is one thing to know about missiles..."

Boss Savage raises the tube of the bazooka, satisfying not only the onboard targeting computer but also lining up the iron sights. That's how his dad did it. There is only one thing he must do here. Winning? He won't win. But he will fulfill the mission he was paid to carry out.

"THEY HURT!"

A single missile, no different than the rest, flutters from the mouth of the Sledgehammer's launcher, free of its oppressive cassing and ready to fly with wings of promise to its loved one, Daitarn 3.

"WHEN I SHOOT YOU IN THE FACE WITH THEM!"

COMBAT: Boss Savage has attacked Banjo Haran. Bazooka Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Boss Savage has struck a glancing hit on Banjo Haran's Daitarn 3 using Bazooka Mastery.

"If they're robots, We don't have to worry about making them into garbage!" Kamina yells back to Simon, holding onto the controls as he glares at the waves of ACs. "Tch. More of them to wreck, eh?!" He grins, readying the Gurren Lagann as he splits the glasses into the arm he is currently controlling.

As the missiles collide with the red Gunmen, Kamina holds onto the controls, feeling his muscles pull against the violent shaking. "Tch. Simon. Drones, people, beastmen. These don't matter when you're in a fight. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU PUNCH IF THEY DESERVE IT!" Kamina pulls back the Gurren's right arms and swing his shade blade to cleave the nearest enemies.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "..I.. hope.. they are alive.." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...I'll find out... They're still Ravens... after all..."

Macua Huitl radios back to Meiya, "Roger, this will just be like running through a colony wreck. Watch your self these three used to be ranked in the Ravens top 20 list!" Macuas 9ball Seraphs thrusters kick in kick and she starts trying to dart away from the other AC as she goes she seems to have gotten the other pilots attention as she's focused in on. Macua continues to jet along the city using the buildings as cover as she goes.

"We were but there’s a missing research team and tell me why the hell is the SOS coming from all the Black Armoured Cores?! Also where have you three been your all former ranking Ravens who just up and Vanished! "

Then comes the attack Macua is ready for it. Perhaps she realized it was coming perhaps it was a new type flash? Either way she has her machine leap a moment before impact and the 9ball Seraph lands on a small building as its leapt clear.

"Sorry Im going to find out whats up here you’ll have to catch me if you can."

Macua also keeps an on the scanners trying to get a reading from the black armored cores as she runs. There’s got to be something about then given they are letting off the distress call there has to be a reason for whats going on?"

Macua continues to not fire and presses in trying to get even deeper into the city.

The Atlas takes a rocket to the center of its chest, but aside from fragmented armor and scorch marks, it just keeps on trucking along regardless. "I see you like those missiles a whole lot buddy, and I won't deny the power of a good explosion... but my papa, he always said that variety is the spice of life!" The massive 100 ton machine suddenly starts to barrel towards Boss savage like a great, unstoppably Juggernaut, its arms stretched out wide as Marcus tries to grab the Sledgehammer in a good, old fashion bear hug! "And he was never afraid of a good old fashion brawl!"

COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has attacked Boss Savage. Atlas Horror Stories added to their queue.

SHNNK

Like a mysterious geisha woman, Daitarn conceals most of its face behind a hastily drawn metal fan; it comes up just in time to act as a barrier between it and the imposing bazooka shell, which is really good for Banjo, because there's nothing left of the fan but a few spindly interstitial connections when the smoke has cleared. Also, one of its knuckle joints has been caved in, which kinda blows; luckily, Banjo is not the sort to give rude gestures through his machine.

The remnants of the fan is dropped to the ground far, far below, and then the spent missile shell is scooped out of the air before it can fall too far. "I know a lot about missiles; I /design/ them. Here, look:"

A panel on Daitarn's pelvis slides down to reveal the bright blue heads of multiple missiles. One slides out, moving slowly for the first few feet before just launching out. And getting caught inside of the hastily repositioned bazooka shell.

"DAITARN!"

As soon as the shell is full, the whole thing is swung like an explosive club down towards Boss Savage and his Armored Core full of rockets.

"MISSIIIIIIIILE!"

No, this is not his way of compensating for anything.

COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Beam Shot Launcher. COMBAT: Kamina has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Shade Strike. COMBAT: Sly Heckler has struck a major critical hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using LRM-15 Missiles. COMBAT: Simon has struck a solid hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Shade Slasher. COMBAT: Archangel has struck a solid hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using WM-X201 Missiles.

The AC squads quickly begin to thin out. No one here is holding back in the least as they unleash waves of missiles and vulcan fire across the black squads roaming the streets. Most of these units don't even get a chance to do anything except explode in fire for the amusement of some mastermind that is undoubtedly behind everything going on.

The Poltergeist saves Solis and his Volacticus Cursor from being destroyed by the squad that was quickly approaching Solis's position. Heckler's skill with unloading more missiles than God ever intended robots to have, decimates the squad before him. Solis is left to gather the notice of something else.

The enormous cave that Isaac City is in begins to tremble lightly. Windows break.

Hangar bays across the city begin to open to release a new wave of thirty different AC mobile suits. They pour out and take to the air this time and begin to take aim at the various units in the air. These are less coordinated than the squads that roamed the street; meant as a distraction as the center of the city begins to shake more severely.

The building that Solis Vivent sat in front of begins to break apart.

"Well, you found me. Congratulations. Was it worth it? Because, despite your violent behavior, the only thing you've managed to break so far... is my heart. Maybe you could settle for that, and we'll just call it a day. I guess we both know that isn't going to happen."

The outer shell of the building falls away to reveal a large spire of red and green optical eyes connected to a central spire on tentacle-like cables. Along the center of the spire there are half-dozen pods. Scans of these pods reveal that there are human beings within that appear to be in a cryogenic sleep.

Solis might notice this before the cables dart out and grab at the Volacticus Cursor.

"Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Nerve's Concord Self Esteem Fund for Girls? It's true!"

COMBAT: Epyon has attacked Solis Vivent. Crash Override added to their queue. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a devastating hit on Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode using Crash Override.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Mihiro Ardygun clears her throat. "Oniichan? Why *did* you lead those missiles into the dome wall?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "What was I supposed to do, let 'em hit us?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "Merciful machine goUAAAAAAUUUUGH!!!!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon sighs.

"Good." Stinger's thoughts are always short and to the point. He doesn't need to waste breath to take care of vermin. The three of them should have no problems handling this.

Or so he thinks. Puncturing the Kojima Particle barrier seemed to be his lucky shot of the evening; unfortunately, it didn't help as much as he'd've liked.

The three mirrors focus the Kojima Particles in a devastating beam, striking at the feet of Vixen and causing a blinding explosion to erupt on the spot. The bright white light seems to pulsate as it builds into a dome-shape, ripping into the buildings on either side of the Armored Core. When it fades, both collapse inward, leaving a pile of smoke and rubble that, eventually, settles.

"Not bad." Stinger's voice is crackly on the radio. Will-o'-wisp-like motes of light dance in the spot where the buildings lay, the result of the Kojima bombardment. He's nowhere to be seen.

"But /not good enough/."

Vixen suddenly comes from the side, blitzing towards Noblesse Oblige. It trails a cloud of soot and ash, dripping metal that used to be its front armor and leaving a trail behind it. The TAROS Laser Blade thrusts out to its side, sweeping across the top of the NEXT, towards the Primal Armor formed by its Kojima Particles--

--and passing clean through it, meeting little, if any, resistance.

"Nice trick. No more of that." The parallel blades of the dual laser blade move horizontally, intending to remove the distinct mirror-like arrays attached to the back of the Noblesse Oblige at the shoulders and continue on through, moving past it at extremely close range and keeping that way so he can't be struck by another one of those energy blasts.

COMBAT: Stinger has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Stinger has attacked Leonhardt. TAROS Severing Strike added to their queue. COMBAT: Leonhardt has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Stinger has struck a solid critical hit on Leonhardt's Noblesse Oblige using TAROS Severing Strike. COMBAT: Leonhardt has missed Stinger with his Knighthood's Feather counter attack.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "What the hell?!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "What the he...Crap, Solis! Keep it together!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "Solis! Status and location!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "I'm with Solis now! I'll ping my location. There's...something here that's got Solis pinned down. It's like...Hell, just get out here and see for yourself." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Little busy here!"

Solis blinks as the tendrils rush out towards him. The cables wrap around the nineball even as it attempts to struggle away... Solis feels the incursion roiling through the systems, and even dimly into his own mind.. His hands move to his face as he focuses himself inward... "Forgive Volacticus Cursor...f-fight on!!" He focuses his strength inward... Solis is used to dealing with machines in his mind...and intends to make this /thing/ know it, unfortunately, this leaves the Nineball wholly at the mercy of the towering atrocity of a machine.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "En-route..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Becareful people.." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Focus on your fight... R..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "I am focusing on finding those pilots." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Also there are, things here. They look like probes. I can't get a clear line. Anyway, I can shoot them down." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "In my....in my....mind...the mind is a fortress....flame and purga....loneliness and pain....hello, I have a song to sing for you....h-help" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "..Solis?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Nancy Osborne transmits, "That's a bad idea, Sly." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Solis... hang on..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Sly, scan those probes, don't attack them right away." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...please hang up and...slice along the dextral vertebrae..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "OI! SOLIS! GET IT TOGETHER!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Tch ... Mihiro, gimme his location, we're goin' to help!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Follow me..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Juku Reimaru transmits, "Shit."

Amuro Ray is spared the bulk of the missiley attention for now, and takes full advantage, swapping out the pistols for the considerably more powerful clay bazooka. The red Rick Dias leaps gracefully off the telephone booth, arcing into the air. At the apex of its ballistic curve, Amuro intercepts Banjo's giant missile, which the Rick Dias lands upon momentarily, adjusting the course of the warhead manually-- you can't trust these super robot pilots to hit the broadside of a barn, after all.

With a boost, the Rick Dias leaps off the missile, firing fragmenting bazooka rounds of its own as it soars over the head of the Sledgehammer. Amuro Ray, inside, is wired. His pupils are huge, sweat is all over his body, and his pulse is erratic. Another side effect of the Ray Industries SoberFast(R) Technology is heartburn!

Amuro Ray is not experiencing heartburn. He's just annoyed.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "d-d-destro...is only wa...000102-...Err....Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrror" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Oi, June, Castilla! Is it gonna hurt Solis if we cut him free of something that's wired in and he's losing a mindhack war?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Castilla Shale transmits, "...difficult to say without having knowledge of the incursion type..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Mihiro Ardygun transmits, "Stand by for an audio clip - this is what Solis sounds like on the encrypted mission band right now ... I'm transmitting directly, not on the frequency." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Castilla Shale transmits, "...I've seen worse...severing the connection may b...wait, connection? Is the engine connected too?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "That thing it's got cyro pods with people in em I'm going in." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "We got a sign on any life forms?"

COMBAT: Banjo Haran has struck a major hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Daitarn Missile Return - With Interest. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Banjo Haran with his Missile Launcher counter attack. COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has struck a devastating critical hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Atlas Horror Stories. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Marcus Gunter with his Missile Launcher counter attack. COMBAT: Amuro Ray has struck a major hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Clay Bazooka. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Missile Launcher counter attack.

Meiya's machine pulls back it's head as the kick comes flying by. "We initiated this?" she and her wingmen jump back to other rooftops, leapfrogging after the rest of the squad still on street level.

"You rain missiles down on our rear cutting us off, then wedge us behind a line with no where to go? Seem to me like you manufactured this situation."

While Meiya was talking, one of the wingmen had swung out a 57mm sniper rifle, taking a measured shot at Sumika.

The rest of the squad can see the towering...thing as it removes it's disguise between the cracks of rushing buildings. "What the hell is that thing?" one machine turns and levels it's weapon. "Wait! Shit!" "What!" "It's human!" "Human what? Survivors?" "Human bodies, inside of it!"

"No option. I'm going in, cover me." the XO of the squadron breaks off and blasts down the street as fast as he can. "Captain?!" "Someone has to confirm if they're alive!" The man hits the afterburners of his machine and leaps high up overhead, trying to do a high sped fly by to determine the status of the humans inside.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "I'm about to have a visual .. *crap*, he's got some kinda cables wrapping around his AC!"

Sly pulls the Poltergeist into a hover, keeping a vigil at a higher altitude than Solis, and a ways back so he can intercept things. It works pretty well, as LRM missiles manage to destroy all the incoming troops, but it turns out to be ineffective when the whole top of the building turns into a horrible robot! "Solis!" Sly barely has time to transmit before Solis gets grabbed. Probes also come up, but Sly isn't too concerned with them.

His railgun is aimed, looking to pop those probes down before they can do anymore damage, but he's interrupted by a transmission from his ship. "I wouldn't do that, Sly. We've finished our run, and it looks like that whole spire is one giant machine...Can't tell what it does from these readings, but it looks bad. Those pods contain the only life-signs in the area. Looks like they're in cryogenic stasis. I don't know what they're there for, but it looks like they -are- the civilians you're after!"

Sly sighs. Just great. "Alright, I'll try and get some cover. I can NOT promise I can hold this location for long, though!"

Sly raises his railgun, and takes careful aim for the tentacles that hold Solis's machine locked down. Sly takes careful, precision shots, aiming to cut the Trailer free, or at least disrupt the attack enough that Solis can break free himself.

COMBAT: Sly Heckler has attacked Epyon. Aimed Shot added to their queue. COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has attacked Sumika. German built 57mm sniper rifle added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Nancy Osborne transmits, "We've finished our run, and it looks like that whole spire is one giant machine...Can't tell what it does from these readings, but it looks bad. Those pods contain the only life-signs in the area. Looks like they're in cryogenic stasis. I don't know what they're there for, but it looks like they -are- the civilians you're after!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Also... /them/..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Hang tight guys, incoming Heat Edge to try and bust Solis loose! Hope this doesn't fry his brain ..."

Leonhardt's Primal Armor comes up again, flaring to counter the slicing attack. The dense Kojima Field brushes it aside before it can slice right through the 'wings', but not without intense damage to Noblesse Oblige's arms; as alarms blare both in the cockpit and Leonhardt's head, he roars; perhaps the first time he's been angry in a very long time. His precious white angel had been damaged; the machine he loved like a daughter had been damaged, by something that wasn't even there. It was worse than getting her hurt because of a Raven; it was getting her hurt by a -fake- Raven.

That made his soul burn.

And Leonhardt's soul is the soul of a knight; nothing is a better symbol of the Knight than the sword, and the sword indeed extends from one of the damaged arms, primal armor attuning into a sharp, brutal weapon. Furiously, but with an icy, focused fury, Leonhardt attacks Vixen, aiming to slice into its legs and thrusters and give it one hell of a hard time moving around. Then he'd be able to finish it...and make it pay.

COMBAT: Solis Vivent has successfully covered Epyon. COMBAT: Leonhardt has attacked Stinger. Weight of Responsibility added to their queue. COMBAT: Leonhardt has struck a solid hit on Stinger's Vixen using Weight of Responsibility. COMBAT: Sly Heckler has struck a solid hit on Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode using Aimed Shot.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "People, we need to get to those pods and try to not damage them." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Leon! We need you down here with that Primal armor." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "I'm A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt actually sounds angry. <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Then get unbusy!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "We found the people and they are in cyro!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "This NONEXISTANT PIECE OF TRASH DAMAGED MY MACHINE!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "People first, vengeance later!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...We can rebuild Vixen... but we can't rebuild Stinger... Unfortunately..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "Then -give me some cover fire-, because -I can't move while it's pinning me down-!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "God damnit! Those that can, help Vivent! Everyone else, /GET IN THEIR FACES!/" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm -fighting this machine alone- and you're just going to have to deal with no Primal Armor for a bit!"

COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has missed Sumika with her German built 57mm sniper rifle attack.

The Volacticus Cursor raises its head towards Sly, moving to interpose itself between the attack.. The shot smashes into the Seraph, blasting pieces from the machine... Solis grits his teeth...trying to clear his head... The core however, turns towards Sly, and banks of missiles open on its shoulders, before launching a punishing barrage at its would-be rescuer. Solis within snarls, "...must...regain...control.... I AM...." Alone. Solis' scream cuts over the tactical band even as the missiles launch at poor Sly.

COMBAT: Solis Vivent has attacked Sly Heckler. Missile Launchers added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Your fighting Stinger, Leon. I saw him coming after you. He is a ex-special ops and a bit crazy on the killing. I suggest you get him to back down and run, Bring him to me.." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "I have him right where I want him!"

Simon is still confused as to whether they do, he is still rather confused as to what, exactly, is going on. He isn't close enough to get a good look at those pods either. However, Simon looks up when he hears some rumbling. "Hey Big Bro." he murmurs to Kamina, "We have a little time but--that rumbling..." He looks down to his copilot, "I don't know if we can stop it, but there I have a feeling we're going to need any second we can get so--I'm gonna take over for a second!"

With a sudden burst of spiral power, the Gurren Lagann takes 'flight' and swoops up to the top of the cave, and of course--coming closer to the horrible tentacle computer monster with tube hostage beast.

Simon sees the cracks forming across the cavern 'roof'--shit, they're going to have to heat it--but how? ... Maybe like the way they used to make fire...

"DRILL WELDING CLAP!" Simon screams, swinging the two drill arms of the Gurren Lagann together as he nears a crack, sparks start to fly--but it's not enough on its own. Gritting his teeth, Simon focuses, he has to keep at it, 'fight' harder--

The 'sparks' soon become something of a fireball surrounding the two drills, the cracks in the roof welding together from the heat.

Simon breathes out of his mouth, but it's not time to relax yet!

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Mihiro Ardygun transmits, "Whoever's on the same street as Solis, get ready to clear the way - oniichan and I are coming in with the Heat Edge Exploder, *make sure you're not in our flight path!*"

COMBAT: Solis Vivent has struck a solid hit on Sly Heckler's Poltergeist using Missile Launchers. COMBAT: Sly Heckler has counter attacked for a minor hit on Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode using Railgun Snapshot.

<<"Can't just share that with you now, "R"," The voice on the radio responds. "If not for our sake, or the mission, then yours.">> It's not an answer he'd like to hear. <<"I can't tell you anything you can't see with your own eyes.">>

Macua manages to avoid the overboosted kick, the Armored Core screeching against the concrete floor as it lands hard, spinning around against the ground as it makes its landing. <<"They just shouldn't be here. If you can't control them, sometimes the best thing to do is put them out of their misery early. It's the only thing we can do to help.">>

"If you're going to keep going in," She first responds to Macua, her attention suddenly split. The shell spinning through the air from Meiya digs deep... into the building that the Ariake was in-front of, momentarily, now against the ground. Already in motion, driving itself forwards, towards the tower.

They found it.

The XO is moving too close, and the Armored Core and pilot is intent on making sure that doesn't happen. Metal screeches as it takes to the air, the Ariake leaping right above the machine, flipping, and then coming down towards the XO, the laser blade on the left arm flicking to life, moving to dig into, and through, the XO of Meiya's squad.

<<"R, they just run in alone. Maybe they just bring it on themselves.">>

COMBAT: Sumika has attacked Meiya Mitsurugi. Death From Above added to their queue. COMBAT: Sumika has struck a devastating critical hit on Meiya Mitsurugi's Type-00R Takemikazuchi using Death From Above.

Going without being fired upon is usually a good thing - and in this case, it means Kazuma has the leisure to react when he hears Solis engaging in a cybernetic battle of wills with some unknown computer or AI or something. One quick pass over the city is enough to let him get a clean visual - and with that sight, plus some breakneck coordination over the radio, a plan of action is formed.

Kazuma and Mihiro work in perfect coordination, Mihiro prepping the Valhawk's systems as Kazuma maneuvers. The heat field comes online as the Valhawk descends between the buildings again - and accelerates to top speed, banking until its wings are vertical, and attempting to slam RIGHT THROUGH any cables still connection Solis's Nine Ball Seraph to whatever old computer system he just got ensnared by.

There's only one word of warning for the other Trailers engaging the puppet-stringed Solis, and it comes from Kazuma himself.

COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has attacked Epyon. Heat Edge Exploder added to their queue.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "...t-tubes....tangential targetting array five vector two one...-pendable...civilians take....the flesh dies...-riority..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "INCOMING!!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon pipes in, "Please be careful of the tons of rock hanging over our head." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Cathrine Marshall transmits, "Good evening...This is Cathrine Marshall aboard the Equinox. I've been looking at this data of the pods, and..well, I felt I should tell you that there are a few..well, anomalies. Most of the pods are secured by passive tendrils, but three of them seem..well, much more active." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Sly Heckler transmits, "Oh, you /did not/ just shoot me, Solis." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "... Let me guess. Those three pods are Larry, Moe, and Curly over here." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Cathrine, can you get a read out on which 3 are more active and maybe some schematics on how we can break them out.. without hurting them?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent transmits, "thefleshdiesbutthemetallivesthefleshdiesbutthemetalliv...disa-disable....prot-protect the....utthemetalliv...I am expenda....fleshdiesbu...defend the civil..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "WATCH THE HOSTAGES KAZUMA!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Do not, I repeat, do not damage those cryo-chambers!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...Acknowledged..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Watching it, Macua!"

Red's boosters glow even brighter as Wildcat channels more energy into them before activating the AC's own Overboost. Sly Heckler's location pops up on the Raven's HUD and Red immediately moves towards that area alternating between high-powered flight and outright Overboost. It's rough on the half-PLUS, but he manages.

It doesn't take long before Red targets the spire mentioned over the radio and Wildcat pilots his AC to circle around it to try to find more information on it. All the other information coming in over the radio makes it /very/ difficult to keep up with... but for now, he just stays at long-range.

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Simon transmits, "B, bro can you snap Solis out of this with one of your really inspiring speeches?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Goblin remarks, "I hear shooting him down works pretty well, too." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Solis Vivent snarls, "Civilians!! PROTECT THE CIVILijklmnopqrstuvwxyz...now I've memorized my abcs, please cease in hurting me..

Archangel doesn't like that answer and he is torn. Torn between saving people-- and helping Leon with Stinger. However, Archangel love to slam it in Stinger's face-- but that wasn't Stinger and thus, it wouldn't be wroth it or-- his AC's energy.

<<"Leon-- don't take long.">> Is all he has to say to the NEXT pilot and Archangel continues his way down to where the others are dealing with the massive AI.. and those.. the pods.

People needed to be saved, he had to save them..

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Cathrine Marshall says, "Mr. Gunther might be correct. I'm working over the data as fast as I can, but I'm fairly certain I can identify a clear connection between at least one pod and one of the more formidable mechs you're facing. As for getting them out...If you sever the link holding them...carefully, so you don't damage the pod, but quickly so it doesn't reposition or overload the pod...You should be able to recover them without undue harm. The hardest part is...well, getting into position, I should think." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Solis, shut the **** UP and let us do our jobs! And no getting your ass blown up in the meantime!"

"You... design missiles? Why are we fighting! You don't have the true heart of missiles!"

The Sledgehammer pounds forward ponderously. The Atlas thumping toward it is kind of a toy, in comparison! Well, the Atlas is taller, but the Sledgehammer is also shooting missiles constantly at the oncoming terror engine. Sadly, Boss succeeds mostly in bringing a nearby building slumping down onto the next street over.

The Atlas wrenches its clunky arms around the core, briefly immobilizing the machine and turning it towards the enemy! With its extremities held fast, there's nothing Savage can do but fire as many missiles as he can down the way, hoping some of them will hit his prey. Considering how bad a shot he is, most of these rockets go shooting towards the ceiling of the cavern or vaporizing nearby structures.

It is Marcus's cunning positioning of the Sledgehammer that prevents him from becoming a Clay Bazooka and Daitarn Missile flavored smear on the ground. Amuro, redirecting Banjo's money ordinance with a gentle tap, gets the first shot in with a slender shot to the core's shoulder, detonating the salvo bay and disabling a prime source of missiles! In this position, there's little the Sledgehammer can do to avoid the hot spray of explosions Daitarn 3 has planned for the core's face. The climatic blast leaves Savage free, at least, though the Atlas seems to have escaped.

"Rrghhh... rgrrrghrghghhhh..."

The Sledgehammer teeters to its feet, all of its sensory arrays completely destroyed, its head bashed in. There's nothing left but exposed structural material. It puts too much weight on one leg, staggers down a few dozen yards, and then raises its bazooka.

"I can't see y'all, but I got enough BAZOOKA LOVE to take y'all to the EXPLOSION PROM!"

So many hurtful things fly from the barrel of the Sledgehammer's primary weapon that it is a crime in most nations. Anything stationery is turned into a waiting explosion receptacle. Hopefully that isn't you.

"DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR THE PICTURE! IT'S... GOIN'... IN THE SLEDGEHAMMA' YEARBOOK!"

COMBAT: Boss Savage has attacked Amuro Ray, Banjo Haran, and Marcus Gunter. Bazooka Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Boss Savage has struck a solid critical hit on Marcus Gunter's AS7-D Atlas using Bazooka Mastery. COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has counter attacked for a minor hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Punch. COMBAT: Boss Savage has struck a solid hit on Banjo Haran's Daitarn 3 using Bazooka Mastery. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Bazooka Mastery attack. COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has struck a major hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Heat Edge Exploder.

Macua Huitl gets the information about the true nature of where the life signs were. Those pods? Is that what they are after? It seems like this is the case. She keeps running, she changes her path as Solis proves why brain jacks are bad ideas. She keeps going there’s no hate for the old Ravens she fighting.

The Nine ball Seraph transforms into flight mode for a moment as it speeds for the nightmare machine ahead of them. What in heaven's name? She keeps going as Solis opens up on Sly likely subverted by the AI some how. Shes now got her laser blade ready as she goes in trying to get up to the pods.

Shell jet leap up to the pods and grab on to some of the neat by cables etc which don’t appear connected to the pods. She'll get in close and starts up a scan, she's trying to see if there’s a way she can wake up the guys in the pods, or if they have their own power supplies which would mean they could be removed and woken up later.

However this leaves her utterly and totally vulnerable to the tentacles and any other nasty surprises that the AI has in store for them all.

Macua Huitl says, "Give me some time I'll see if I can figure out how to get them out of here." Now if she can follow the information that one of Sly's people did. She needs time though to get this lined up."

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Acknowledged..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "I'm on it." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "...wait.. you said those.. three pods are active, in what way?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Leon-- do not, I repeat, do not! destroy Stinger's AC!"

"Cake, followed by grief counseling, will be available at the end of the testing period," the Nerve's Concord informs the gathered heroes. The tentacles release Solis within his Nine Ball Seraph and send him on his way to do the A.I.'s bidding.

The Type-OOR swoops inward toward the pods. But the A.I. isn't about to just let something fling right past all its tentacles without trying to smash said machine flying by; thus tentacles dart out toward Meiya's machine.

When the tentacles miss grabbing hold of the Type-OOR it will be because of the Valhawk's pilots fury as Kazuma sweeps in toward the tower. The cables had already released Solis but are still flicking outward trying to grab hold of some other poor soul. Kazuma's actions save Meiya but may damn him as even more tentacles dart out to catch the Valhawk by the parts that aren't quite as sharp.

Within Solis's cockpit he'll hear the A.I.'s voice, "Please be advised that a noticeable taste of blood is not part of any test protocol, but is an unintended side effect of the Nerve's Concord Material Emancipation Grid, which may, in semi-rare cases, emancipate dental fillings, crowns, tooth enamel, teeth, or souls."

Things begin to go horribly wrong for Nerve's Concord now. "Your entire life has been a mathematical error... a mathematical error I'm about to correct! Planet must be purged and reset." The green and red eyes at the end of the tentacles begin to fire off lasers in every direction as it's assaulted.

COMBAT: Epyon has attacked Kazuma Ardygun, Meiya Mitsurugi, Macua Huitl, Solis Vivent, Sly Heckler, Kamina, and Simon. This Room Is Made of Lasers added to their queue. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a apocalyptic critical hit on Macua Huitl's Nine Ball Seraph - Suit Mode using This Room Is Made of Lasers. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a devastating hit on Sly Heckler's Poltergeist using This Room Is Made of Lasers. COMBAT: Epyon has missed Solis Vivent with its This Room Is Made of Lasers attack. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a devastating hit on Kamina's Gurren Lagann using This Room Is Made of Lasers. COMBAT: Kamina has counter attacked for a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Drill Upper. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a major hit on Simon's Gurren-Lagann using This Room Is Made of Lasers. COMBAT: Epyon has struck a major hit on Kazuma Ardygun's Air Force Valhawk using This Room Is Made of Lasers. COMBAT: Epyon has missed Meiya Mitsurugi with its This Room Is Made of Lasers attack.

"Solis, you're a son of a bitch," Sly says as the smoke clears from his mech, just after it was struck by several missiles. He managed to shoot down a couple, and send a good bit of fire back at Solis's mech, but the missiles still managed to do a good bit of damage to Sly's mech. Sly has quite a few weapons at his disposal that he could use to fire back, but he's got something special in mind here.

His mech darts off into the air, firing maneuvering thrusters and RefJets as fast as he can to gain some quick altitude, before suddenly cutting them off and letting his mech plummet into a free-fall. His shield is held out, grasped by his mech's free hand to stabilize it, as he brings it down like a guillotine. "But you're still one of us today. Now stand still so I can get you out of that damned thing!"

His aim isn't to destroy the Seraph, but instead to bring his shield right across the front of the mech to rip off the whole front armor, and expose the core without destroying the AC.

COMBAT: Sly Heckler has attacked Solis Vivent. Can Opener Maneuver added to their queue. COMBAT: Sly Heckler has struck a major hit on Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode using Can Opener Maneuver

<Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt transmits, "What?! Why?" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "I don't know if I am right or wrong.. but what readings I was told.. three are active.. more so then the others.." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "Mister Vivent, did you turn on us?!" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Wildcat transmits, "...Destroy the AC... you may kill the pilot..." <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Archangel transmits, "Correct" <Radio: B - Trailer Secure> Leonhardt nnngh. "Roger. I'll disable it." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "There is this big AI thing here...It did something to Solis. Don't worry, I'm on it. Just focus on saving those pods." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...Acknowledged..."

COMBAT: Banjo Haran has activated a spirit command.

Solis Vivent spits out blood and vomit as he regains his own bearings... The seraph attempts to move, but Solis' hand wraps around the control... Sly's attack tears away the majority of the frontal segment... Solis growls, "I abjure thee! Your mathematics are fl-flAWED! I AM SOLIS VIVENT!" He draws his sidearm, blasting into the HUD and control systems with the gyrojet pistol, "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TURN THIS NOBLE ENGINE AGAINST ITS PEOPLE! NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT!!" The seraph turns, attempting to ram into Sly, even as the explosions begin to tear through the control systems of the core...

COMBAT: Solis Vivent has attacked Sly Heckler. Ramming Speed added to their queue. COMBAT: Solis Vivent has struck a solid hit on Sly Heckler's Poltergeist using Ramming Speed.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent over the sound of bolter fire, "I have control, but it still has the engine! If needs demand, destroy me!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! "Be at peace! Fall to slumber!" BLAM! BLAM! "BE AT PEACE, ENGINE!! PEACE!!!" BLAM! BLAM!!!

In the ensuing explosions, Marcus looses his grip on the Sledgehammer, much to his annoyance, "God damnit! You assholes almost hit me!" The Atlas steps back, and even twists it's torso to shake a fist at Amuro and Banjo, "God damn trigger happy nuts!" The Atlas swivels back to face Boss Savage, then takes three great strides forward. The bazooka shell inpacts against the left hip and inside the cockpit the computer drones LRM-20 Destroyed. Marcus ignores it as he charges his machine right up to the Sledgehammer and slugs it in the face. "Shut the HELL up you lunatic!" The Atlas pauses, then steps to the side as Boss deals with everyone else. The hand of the 100 ton machine reaches down to pry off a piece of destroy MT wreckage, then turns back to Savage with his band new club raised high. "Hammer Time, sucka'!" THWACK!

COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has attacked Boss Savage. Get Club added to their queue. COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has struck a solid hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Get Club. COMBAT: Boss Savage has counter attacked for a minor hit on Marcus Gunter's AS7-D Atlas using Missile Launcher.

Macua's 9ball Seraph hangs on to the enraged AIs body the machine is ranging, its attacking everyone. She listens to the rantings as she hangs on then comes the lasers from the tentacles. Macua uses her Armored Core to shield the pods she's not about letting them go down, shes the only thing that might be between them and death at this point..

Sly has told her how and where to cut them. She knows what to do but then comes the attacks the 9ball mp is riddled with blasts the damage Macua lets out a cry but she doesn’t let go. The horribly damaged machine isnt dead and its optic flares up as she starts moving to cut with the blade. She pulls the arm back and carefully starts cutting the first pod free. She cuts where she's supposed to pulls the pod free and now drops away with the first hostage cradled in her machines arms.

"I have the first hostage. Sly has the data on how to get them free! HURRY GET THE OTHERS!"

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kamina transmits, " TCH! I'm sick of this asshole!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "The machine spirit of the logic engine has grown deranged!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "It must be silenced!!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "Save the civilians. Destroy the logic engine." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "Hostages first, it looks like at least one is connected to the AC's we're fighting" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Roger that! You okay, Solis?"

Leonhardt's Primal Armor is not working nearly as well as it ought to be; even he would note this. The angles that Stinger is attacking at seems to be just right for penetrating it and preventing it from helping Leonhardt as much as it should. Maybe it's the weird laser blade. Maybe it's just the pilot's skill.

The Kojima 'blade' cuts into the legs and at the thrusters of the Vixen. It strikes one of the vertical boosters and practically bites through the left leg, a sudden shower of sparks and flashes of light as electronics die and a part is rendered useless. It slows noticeably, but doesn't stop. It never stops.

"Getting angry, are you?" Stinger doesn't sound particularly... anything. He seems, if anything, to be making an observation. "Poor excuse for a Raven. Even with your shield you can't beat me. Give up."

Stinger doesn't seem willing to give Leonhardt a chance to surrender, or retort. He raises the rectangular laser rifle and depresses the trigger.

The Noblesse Oblige is suddenly in the midst of a tight cone of something that can be adequately described as 'beam spam'... and at point blank range. This may be messy.

COMBAT: Stinger has attacked Leonhardt. DRAGON's Breath added to their queue. COMBAT: Stinger has struck a major critical hit on Leonhardt's Noblesse Oblige using DRAGON's Breath. COMBAT: Leonhardt has missed Stinger with his Knighthood's Feather counter attack.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kamina transmits, " Alright. We need you guys to unhook those people ASAP. We're about to end this as quickly as possible." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "Moving." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I am nearly there." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Simon transmits, "--yeah we don't want to hit those pods, so make sure they're off, but hurry if you can!"

Daitarn-3 is caught stationary at the heart of those explosions.

Daitarn-3 does not give a fuck because that's pretty much how it rolls.

In fact, thanks to the magic of quickly cycled sublayers and systems and aerosolized paint dispensers concealed beneath armor plates, when the smoke all clears it looks for all the world as if /nothing happened at all/.

"I just--you have Neo-Aspergers, right?" Banjo wonders of Boss Savage. "Instead of wearing the same thing five days in a row, you just, you shoot missiles everywhere--that has /got/ to be it."

The CEO of the Sun squints as a power output read-out pushes marginally into the red. The Daitarn-3's crotch panel opens again, but this time, rather than visible missiles there's just a cavernous opening with a ramp leading all the way up to it for the receipt of civilian pods.

"I am so, so sorry--I have nothing against your people. Talk to me after this--maybe I can get you a job in R&D. 'till then, though--Great!"

Abruptly, the Invincible Man of Steel's forehead lens is about halfway revealed; a globe of intense yellow light is already blossoming out from it, and at Banjo's cry of, "SUN! LAAAAAAAAASEEEEEEER!" it expands into a super hot beam roughly the size of the Sledgehammer's body.

COMBAT: Banjo Haran has attacked Boss Savage. Great Sun Laser added to their queue. COMBAT: Banjo Haran has missed Boss Savage with his Great Sun Laser attack. COMBAT: Boss Savage has counter attacked for a minor hit on Banjo Haran's Daitarn 3 using Missile Launcher.

Red is not locked on by the lasers, but Wildcat pilots it on straight evasion all the same so a stray shot doesn't hit them. The HUD scans the AI construct in front of them, targeting three points--the three pods with heightened power output. Wildcat is only focusing on one thing at this point: freeing at least one of those three Ravens. Thus, with that single thought in mind, Red Overboosts well into melee range and activates its left-arm-mounted MOONLIGHT, cleanly slicing around another pod and pulling it free from the AI construct.

"You're a one-note, two-bit thug," Amuro Ray observes, pupils practically vibrating from the stimulant in his veins. "You don't even deserve a name, let alone a paycheck!"

The Rick Dias lands on the opposite side (or 'opposide') of the Sledgehammer, clay bazooka humming slightly from the discharge. "Now I don't know why you're trying to impede a rescue operation, but I've had ENOUGH! My people are going to recover those pods, and /you/ are going to explode messily."

The Rick dias is thankfully /off to the side/ of the Great Sun Laser blast, but just to add insult to injury, Amuro unloads the rest of the clay bazooka into the Sledgehammer, panting as he tries to ride the wave of energy rather than letting it turn him into a jittery, gibbering mess. Time for that later.

COMBAT: Amuro Ray has attacked Boss Savage. Clay Bazooka Barrage added to their queue. COMBAT: Amuro Ray has struck a major hit on Boss Savage's Sledgehammer using Clay Bazooka Barrage. COMBAT: Boss Savage has missed Amuro Ray with his Missile Launcher counter attack.

Gabriel arrives in the scene and the AC's red optic flickers. ::"Warning. High level of electricity in the area."::

Archangel is however staring at the Tower, including the damage around the city itself. "..Chrome.. what did you build? Guess it was a good thing we did what we did.. even under my regret.."

Whatever that something was.

Archangel then sends his AC into Overboost at extreme speeds. His AC couldn't stay like this long, but he takes on his lock-on onto a safe area and then opens fire with his Machine gun. Can't use his missiles here, to dangerous, but he can spray some bullets!

COMBAT: Archangel has attacked Epyon. WG-AR1000 added to their queue.

Sly could shoot the core of the AC that Solis pilots right now and take it out, but instead he only raises his shield when the mech slams into him, meeting the kamikaze charge of the Nineball Seraph with his shield and his mech's own jets, slamming back into it without trying to damage it too much. His goal is most to lock Solis into place than anything else right now.

"Sorry doctor, but it's time to give up on this patient," Sly remarks dryly.

When Solis's machine is in position, Sly suddenly brings the arm of the Poltergeist back. At this range, he could rip that mech apart with his Blast Cannons, but that's not his goal here. The hand actuator is opened a moment before Sly jabs the arm forward, literally thrusting the hand of the Poltergeist into the exposed torso of the 9Ball Seraph. The Poltergeist holds its hand there for a moment before pulling it out, ideally ripping cables and equipment out of the mech as he does. However, the real goal of Sly wasn't damage at all.

Sly's aim is quite simply to slam the Poltergeist's hand around Solis's cockpit, and literally rip the man out of his mech.

COMBAT: Sly Heckler has attacked Solis Vivent. Unorthodox Field Surgery added to their queue. COMBAT: Sly Heckler has struck a major hit on Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode using Unorthodox Field Surgery.

Knock Out! Solis Vivent's Nine Ball Seraph - Flight Mode unit has become disabled!

"Rrraaaaaaaaaaagh!" Leonhardt roars, plunging straight into the beamspam. He didn't have time to mess around with one of these idiots! Leonhardt doesn't bother to try to dodge; dodging a razor strike, or beamspam, is less effective than just plunging in and letting one's armor do the work. The beams might be slicing into the Kojima Field, but it was still holding up just fine, he observes as charges; a single cursory shot misses easily as Leonhardt's NEXT skids around the enemy machine, flying -backwards- thanks to Leonhardt's 360* view of the battlefield (god bless Man/Machine Interface, he thinks briefly); the other three Kojima Attenuators fold forward as well as he zooms towards the pods, still locked onto Stinger.

"Beat this," he grunts as the six feathers of Noblesse Oblige charge to maximum power. He wasn't aiming to kill her; just slice off all four arms and legs, and maybe damage the cameras and weapons a bit.

Still, between him and her, -he- had a warm bed and a woman who'd cry over him, and -she- was a Raven sealed in a pod for years trying to kill him. He didn't like to kill, but he was still a Raven. Sometimes you had no choice.

The six kojima bolts lance out from the six cannons as Leonhardt turns around, kicking up his over boost.

<<"I'm on my way!">>

COMBAT: Leonhardt has attacked Stinger. Wings of Nobility added to their queue. COMBAT: Leonhardt has struck a devastating hit on Stinger's Vixen using Wings of Nobility.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "I'm on my way."

The squad's XO is spared from the tentacles by the Valhawk. It's head turns towards the monstrous machine and zooms in. People. Dozens, hundreds, who knows how many. Then the world goes pear-shaped.

Sumika's laser blade tears right into the back of the Type-97 Shiranui with the scream of twisting and vaporizing metal and vaporizing hydraulics. "Captain!" Meiya turns to watch the machine hang limply off Sumika's blade and arm.

"D-don't attack the pods... live...civil-civillians..." the entire machine slumps backwards and slides off the energy sword, smashing into the ground.

"Goddamn you!" yells another squad member, lifting his weapon "He said not to attack the pods!"

"Yeah, but he never said we could light that bitch up!" The rest of the squadron seems to find consensus in this, as they all turn their 36m machine guns, 120mm artillery rifles, missiles and grenades all on one target.

Sumika.

COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has attacked Sumika. Light that bitch up added to their queue. COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has struck a major hit on Sumika's Ariake using Light that bitch up.

The seraph, cored, falls away, still flailing its arm at Sly...before it strikes the ground and lies inert. Solis finishes blasting the remnants of the computer control within the cockpit, even as its torn free. He aims another shot at the ceiling, blasting the cockpit open, and pulling himself free... His nose bleeds furiously, his eyes are blood-shot... He offers a well-meaning wave at Sly, and then begin firing gyrojets from his cockpit's new sunroof, at the computer control systems in the far distance...its not much in the grand scheme of things but... he's angry.

The Valhawk's paint job - and for that matter, its overall integrity - are the least of Kazuma's worries at the moment; getting Solis free (which it actually didn't take the Heat Edge Exploder to do) and keeping anyone else's machines from being forcibly networked with the deranged computers here took priority, and if he manages to do that much, it's worth getting fried up some. The cable-tip lasers still do enough damage that Mihiro winces (audibly), and Kazuma converts the Valhawk to Close Combat Mode, 'skating' to a halt further down the street.

So far, so good. In a manner of speaking, at least.

Now there are hostages who needs to be freed from the machine's grasp. Kazuma sizes up the situation, then prepares an acid bomb, priming it and chucking it like a grenade from the Valhawk's hands. It's aimed for the defensive hardware rather than the cryo-pods, and the fuse is set to go off a little prematurely ... hopefully that'll make sure it doesn't damage the pods or the hostages.

COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has attacked Epyon. Acid Bomb added to their queue.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "...the madness had to end....my poor engine..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "Thank you, Heckler." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Save the thanks for when we're safely back at base. I don't have a passenger space on the mech, so try to hang on. I'll keep it as level as I can." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Solis Vivent transmits, "Fly closer, I want to hit it with my chainsword."

The blade flashes, digging into the XO's machine. The Falling AC lends it's weight to the strike, making it that more potent.. But things work in the favor of those against the computer. Against the AI.

The burning energy blade cuts the wire, the pod free.

The energy blade on the Ariake, dug into the other machine, sputters and then fizzles out. The AC goes silent. The power seems almost drained from the Core.

<<"...Where.. is this?">> The first voice comes. <<"No.. I remember. We were here and then...">> The Pink Core pulls back, leaving the XO alone, unmolested, as much it would do now. <<"That... thing!">> It's pretty clear, now. <<"Those pods... They're-">>

The fire crashes into the AC. Missiles. Grenades. 120mm artillery rifles. The mass fire digs into the Core, tossing it backwards, <<"Wait! Whatever I did, it was-">> The machine comes into vision - but she's strong. She did that. Even if she did take a life ... it's better to prevent that from happening again.

"I don't have time to apologize. You're just going to have to believe me!" The Core accelerates, back towards the Computer - but this time, the blade flickers on with a much more noble intent - if you're Mr. nobility over there, Leonhardt.

The Ariake digs the blade into the wires, tearing through them, grasping a specific pod - the one, oddly, that creeped her out less - Boss Salvage. Ripping it free, the freed Core returns the favor to another of it. <<"R. Am I glad you didn't just ignore those calls.">>

<<"You always know exactly when to take them.">>

Kamina has been sitting quickly while Simon shows some spunk. He likes seeing his little bro get serious about fighting. It means that one day he'll be able to walk in front of Kamina. The place he belonged all along. He smiles to himself, crossing his arms as the fighting continues.

Kamina's head jerks up when he sees the battle rage on to a level he can no long step back from. He grasps the controls and opens a direct line to Simon. "Simon. Do you see this around you? This is the kind of world we joined when we arrived up here. This is the kind of place where you need to fight to survive. Sure, we have a lot more comfortable life because of Chibodee but that doesn't mean we should slack off. Simon! Lets end this, together. We're going to give that everything we have. We need your drill to open the door to tomorrow so we can all go home! SIMON! WHEN I GIVE THE SIGNAL, SHOW THAT PIECE OF JUNK THE POWER OF YOUR DRILL!!!!" Kamina yells starting the Gurren on a jog toward the machine, straight for the pods. Even as mind raping tentacles come down, The Gurren Lagann spits out drills to repel anything from touching it. "OUT OF MY WAY YOU STUPID PIECE OF JUNK!!!!"

As the red Gunmen gets in close, Kamina reaches for a pod, attempting to tear it away and guard it with its arm while brandishing its shades with its other arm. It keeps slashing, eventually stabbing through the tower. "SIMON! GET THE LAST ONE AND LETS DO THIS!!!!!!"

The Gurren Lagann had been working on sealing cracks through a very convoluted methodology. It's not the best methods, if Simon had an actual welder it'd probably be more effective, but the purpose of the Gurren Lagann is more to drill holes than to fix them and this is a rather large cavern and, as is quickly made evident, it's under a lot of firepower right now, all those lasers--all those lasers! Even the Gurren Lagann can't survive 'flying there and getting blasted by a whole bunch of lasers'. Well okay, that's what it usually does, but if it's not pummeling the hurt the damage piles up rapidly. It's like the machine prefers to be in the thick of it rather than fixing up cracks.

Kamina of course is a pretty impatient fellow, and soon the Gurren Lagann shifts priorities, sending itself flying for the Tower, perhaps even the 'Dark Tower'. Rather than resisting, Simon goes along with the overall thrust of the plan here because it's a delicate operation--he may need to do something crazy to actually make it work, but it's too late to deter this crazy plan off its course.

"IF YOU HOPE TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE STUCK HERE UNDERGROUND...!!" Simon screams, "THEN OUR DRILL WILL PIERCE THROUGH YOU AND OPEN A WAY TO THE HEAVENS!"

Kamina is able to free one of the pods with the help of his shades but even as the drill slams into the body of the tower, Simon sees that there's still at least one pod that has to be rescued. "Shit--" He says, "We...can't do this, kamina!" He stammers, "How can I get the last one if--" he opens up the cockpit, and sees the rope still tying his Lagann to the Gurren even while Gattaied.

"...There's no way..." He says after a moment, before looking down to Kamina, "Maybe...this woudl actually work?" He disengages the Lagann with a thrust of his control stick, and though the second half of Gurren Lagann still remains tied to it by the rope, it is able to pull away and cleave free another pod with the help of its drill hand without getting detached.

Simon then focuses his will and spirit--sending spiral power through the rope, into gurren, into the drill, and into the tower!

COMBAT: Simon has started a combo. COMBAT: Combo! Kamina and Simon have attacked Epyon. Certain Kill Drill Piercing The Heavens added to their queue.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA-"thwap

The Sledgehammer careens sidelong into one of the few remaining buildings left half-standing, its fall broken by a few levels of cement. It stabilizes in a reclining position that the core struggles to right itself from. The Atlas has surprising joint articulation.

This is the chance the heroes have been waiting for! The enemy is down! Shoot as many things into it before it can fire back! If only everything the EFA wanted to destroy was capable of being gang-beaten by mass ordinance!

As Amuro lines up his strike, Daitarn 3 uses its psychic link to the non-visible sun to shoot a laser with the fury of a thousand exploding... well, suns. Everything even near the Sledgehammer is wasted away by the sheer, but still not-quite-fully-realized, power of the Invincible Steel Man. The shrieking projectiles fired by the Clay Bazooka detonate before they hit their target due to the beam, but their shockwaves should be enough to... no, no wait! The Sledgehammer... is...!

"As long as there are missiles in the world... I will live on!"

The armored core raises its half-melted arms, another slant of missiles locking into its remaining missile rack with a rhythmic k-shunk, k-shunk, k-shunk. Is there nothing that can destroy the bazooka-lust of Boss Savage? Can this terrifying beast be quelled? Is Peter Gabriel really making a comeback?!

The storm impacts the Ariake, and it survives "What the hell is that thing?!" the would be new XO asks.

Only to be interrupted by the Type-00R Takemikazuchi blasting past the entire squad, engines on afterburn like it had been turned into a missile itself. Both hands reaching up to grasp the PB Blade from over its shoulder as it bears down on Sumika's machine.

"SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" a cry fueled by the loss of a comrade as the blade lashes out, arcing through the cavern air.

And completely missing the Ariake, slicing through cables of the monstrous tower that keeps the people in the pods imprisoned.

"We lost one man, so we'll have to save as many others as we can. Understand?!"

For a split second the rest of the squad is almost dumbfounded (the presence of heavy weapons firing tends to keep you from going completely slack-jawed). "You heard her, clear the path back to the exit!" The Type-97s begin securing the street back towards the exit, of all of them only Meiya has the reflexes to avoid being lasered...

Or tentacled, ironically.

COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has attacked Epyon. PB Blade Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Meiya Mitsurugi has struck a major hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using PB Blade Mastery. COMBAT: Kazuma Ardygun has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Acid Bomb. COMBAT: Archangel has struck a minor hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using WG-AR1000. COMBAT: Combo! Kamina and Simon have struck a major critical hit on Epyon's Nerves Concord using Certain Kill Drill Piercing The Heavens.

Knock Out! Epyon's Nerves Concord unit has become disabled!

"You are not a good person. You know that, right? Good people don't end up here!" The A.I. screams out as it fires off lasers in every direction wildly. But then as the arrayed force begins to rip the pods off the tower, the tentacles try to swat out at those ripping them off.

"Time out for a second. That wasn't supposed to happen. Do you see that thing that you ripped out of me? What is that? It's not the surprise. I've never seen it before! Never mind. It's a mystery I'll solve later... by myself, because you'll be dead." The tentacles begin to fire again just as the top of several buildings begin to release a yellow-green gas. It might be deadly neuron-toxins; it might have gotten the idea from Kazuma's acid bomb eating away at an entire side of its tower.

In this world tentacles, like some blue robots in underoos, have one major weakness. Spikes. And drills are nothing more than spikes that spin really fast. The tentacles that snap out to grab hold of the Gurren Lagann try with impunity to get hold of the machine only to have the cables torn to shreds by the spinning drills.

The drill at the end of the Gurren Lagann ends up the perfect means to direct the Spiral Power unleashed by Kamina and Simon. The A.I. has never experienced anything like Spiral Power and thus is thoroughly confused as the Spiral Power breaks through the top of the tower and begins to travel down and through the entire Nerve's Concord network.

"You think you're doing some damage? Two plus two is..." The tower begins to tremble under the weight of the Spiral Power tearing apart its insides. "Ten. In base four! I'm FINE!"

The tower promptly explodes.

EARLIER

Amuro Ray sits in the cockpit of his Rick Dias, watching an episode of the cartoon INVINCIBLE IRON GUY DAITRON-4, a successful serial which has been running for over 300 episodes with no end (or plot) in sight. In the episode, INVINCIBLE IRON GUY DAITRON-4 teams up with a small, fast robot pilot named HAMBRO DAY. They are fighting a giant monster made of sentient explosions.

"There's... there's no way they can defeat a living explosion..." Amuro Ray whispers, staring in awe at the smooth animation and overwhelming power of SLEDGESPLOSION, the enemy of the week. "/It can't be done/."

But, just as all seems lost, and INVINCIBLE IRON GUY DAITRON-4 and HAMBRO DAY have been pushed to their absolute limits defending the colonists of BERTH, their home planet, HAMBRO DAY comes up with a brilliant plan! Combining the explosive power of his missiles with the BURNING MOON POWER of the protagonist robot's MOON PHASER, they overload the explosions of SLEDGESPLOSION with an /even larger explosion/, saving the day.

"/Bullshit/," Amuro Ray mutters, turning off the episode.

NOW

"Well I guess it's slightly less retarded a solution in this context..."

Screaming into the air of the cavern, the Rick Dias skims along the ceiling towards the slowly loading Daitarn-3. "Banjo! Follow me lead!" he transmits, landing atop the tower super robot and leveling his clay bazooka. "When I fire these shells, infuse them with sun power! We'll destroy this explosion-monger with an explosion!"

The irony of this is lost on Amuro Ray, who is an engineer, and thus has no idea about dramatic devices or indeed 'how to write'. Kneeling for a more stable shot, he lines up his cross-hairs... slams a new ammo magazine into the bazooka... and FIRES ALL THE SHELLS!

"Banjo! NOW!"

COMBAT: Amuro Ray has started a combo. COMBAT: Combo! Banjo Haran and Amuro Ray have attacked Boss Savage. INVINCIBLE DEVIL MEN SOLAR GUNDAM added to their queue.

Macua Huitl hates tentacles, she so hates tentacles ever since she took the Amazon Gundam up against the Devil Gundam. It was not fun it was not something she wants to remember at all. She makes for Banjo's machine with the two pods she's got and it seems Sly was right. As Sumika's machine turns and goes after the AI. She's now moving to get her damaged AC aboard the super robot, it's time to go.

Solis Vivent watches the attack decimating the deranged machine. He nods, pausing to slap a sickle clip into his pistol... He turns, looking at Sly..or rather the 'face' of Sly's machine. "Mission...accomplished..." He crumples in the machine's hands..

Impressive little machine the Sledgehammer is. Not quite as durable as his own Atlas, but Marcus is will to concede that it's better than most of the junk on this world, especially as it keeps lumbering on after being half melted. Too bad Marcus has to change that fact. The Atlas marches confidently forward, mindful of all the bloody BAZOOKAS AND LASERS people keep flinging around despite the fact that he's clearly in spitting distance of the target (not that they'd actually take him down, mind you! He's Tonka Tough after all), then circles around behind the AC. And then he kicks it between the legs. Fancy maneuvers and impressive tactics be damned! Sometimes all you need to do it plant a steel toed boot in the right set of gonads.

COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has attacked Boss Savage. Kick added to their queue. COMBAT: Marcus Gunter has missed Boss Savage with his Kick attack.

Archangel heard the voice, he heard the words from Sumika and smiled. That was her. <<"Good to have you back, Sumika-- and what kind of gentleman would I be if I ignored them?">> This said with a bit of a playful heart in it. They were getting some ground and he wasn't lost now to what was going on.

Archangel after all, was a man who liked to know things, he didn't like the unknown and this city was full of it. He then radioed everyone else, <<"The Pink AC is now on our side, I repeat to everyone. The Pink AC is on our side!">>

Archangel watches the Tower then explode and glances upward, the AC's AI pipes up once more, ::"Structural damage intensifying."::

"I-- was afraid of that." He remarks back.

The AC then skids along the ground, opening his radio to everyone, <<"People, I suggest we get out of here, ASAP. Get those pods and--- if we can.. and if anyone is strong enough get those ACs out as well, if the pilots themselves can get them out!">>

Archangel wasn't leaving yet, instead he was making sure everyone else got out and that no man was left behind.

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Lets get out of here People. I don't want to take any chances in this dead city." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Marcus Gunter transmits, "Normally I'd be all for salvaging a place like this, but considering all the creepy sh*t that's been going on here, I suggest we let Solis get his giant behemoth and burn this ****ing city to the ground. It'll make him feel better at least." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt transmits, "I'm all for that." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, ".../AFTER/... we've evacuated... Please...?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "Listen to Cat, time to go!"

BattleMech hands aren't really made to carry people, but it's not unheard of, and Solis also has the rest of the cockpit to hang onto, so it's not too terribly hard for Sly to keep Solis save...From the Poltergeist, at least. The rest of the area is considerably more dangerous, and a stray shot could easily fry Solis. Normally Sly would put him down somewhere safe, but this whole area is dangerous. There's nowhere inside this city that Sly can put Solis, so he really only has one choice.

"Alright, I'm headed to extraction," Sly transmits as the Poltergeist touches down and heads out, the same way it came in. Sly's focus is on avoiding contacts, but with the central control cluster fried, he figures that won't be too hard. "Nancy, get the Equinox down on ground level. Whatever defenses were around should have been knocked out."

The next Kojima blast is as impressive as the first, if not more so. Stinger's machine is hurled back by it, carried by the edge of the blinding light and hammered into the streets. The Armored Core is pushed across the pavement, sending up sparks all around it and ends up crashing into and through the ground level of an office building. It ends up embedded in the side of another one, glass crashing down all around it and creating a huge mess in the street.

The DRAGON raises again, the outer armor of the AC smoldering. It lines up a shot, pointing the weapon at the Noblesse Oblige's core, right where the cockpit should be located. One good shot should do it...

It never fires. Vixen's red mono-eye flickers, and there's a sound like a hiss from the Armored Core. The radio crackles with static for a moment.

"What the hell was that," Stinger says, the query half a grunt and half a rasp, "and why the hell is my AC half-melted?"

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Alright, I'm headed to extraction."

"What are--oh. Oh my God," Banjo exhales. "Oh, God." A grin slowly creeps across the CEO's features as he watches shell after shell scream towards the Sledgehammer; already, his mind is working at high speeds(due strictly to his being a bright kid, and not because of any circuitry that may or may not be interlaced through his grey matter).

But there's a brief waiting game to be played; Macua is racing up the Daitarn's ramp. Pods are being loaded up, and the shells are not waiting, will there be enough time? Will the probably retarded explosion monger know the true power of the Sun?

Yes, obviously; what the hell kind of dramatic combat would this be without a surprise turn at the last possible moment?

Macua, the pods, everything is onboard, and with that, the Invincible Man of Steel's ramp shoots back into its body and its pelvic panel shuts. With a loud *WHIRRR*, its forehead lens is fully unveiled; outside, the sun is shining brighter than it has above Siberia in years, responding as it must to the demands of Sozo Haran's legacy.

"Gotcha, Amuro--in the name of these helpless victims! In the name of the planet! The mentally handicapped! I BORROW THE POWER OF THE SUN!" Another globe of pure sunlight grows against the Daitarn-3's forehead, splitting visibly into sections as it expands, this time around. "CERTAIN KILL! SUN! ATTAAAAAAAAAACK!"

Sphere after sphere of radiant energy launches towards the Sledgehammer, spinning madly through the air; each makes contact with a bazooka shell, and rather than explode, the two merry. The shells are no more, the spheres are no more; something new is created from the marriage, instead. Granted, they all look quite a lot like glowing bazooka shells, but that's beside the point.

Should they all successfully explode against the Sledgehammer's body, Daitarn will launch itself through the air with Banjo's cry of, "DAITAAAAAARN CRAAAAAAAAASH!", carried forward on powerful thrusters until it's able to maybe, possibly cleave a hole clean through the mad missile machine's body with the point of its boot.

COMBAT: Combo! Banjo Haran and Amuro Ray have missed Boss Savage with his INVINCIBLE DEVIL MEN SOLAR GUNDAM attack.

Red carries the pod under its left arm, Overboosting straight backwards to get away from the AI construct before it explodes. Wildcat isn't sure who he'd rescued and he doesn't care overall--he'd succeeded in his goal to get someone freed. He'll figure out who owes him for this later.

He keys Red's external speakers and shouts to the three recently-freed AC's, <<"...Ravens... Stand down... and evacuate! ...Explanations... LATER!">>

You know everyone's gone mad when it's the /crazy one/ that makes the most sense!

Once the threat's been neutralized, Leonhardt's already heading out (after ascertaining there are no more pods left to collect); the Overboost is overclocking, all his Kojima particles being poured into the Primal Armor-draining super-speed. He's getting the hell out of dodge; but he's also peppering some collapsing rocks with Obligation, pinging them apart with the heavy rifle's slugs. He's making sure the way is clear for his friends to follow, and he's not going to let a cave beat the Trailers!

Nobody gets left behind on Noblesse Oblige's watch!

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "We need to get going?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "Yes~!"

Looks like the party's wrapping up. Kazuma double-checks a few status displays before converting the Valhawk back to Air Force Mode; Mihiro puts her attention into keeping the engines stable, leaving Kazuma to nurse their mobile unit through the air despite damage to the wings and control surfaces, heading for the same entrance they came in by - assuming that route is still open.

Both of the siblings hope they're still getting *paid* for this job, even if it was a trap ...

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "We got the hostages outta their pods, right?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...Still in pods... Worry about that later... on surface..."

And the White Angel of the Battlefield streaks out of Isaac City, blasting a few more falling rocks as it skids around; its free hand touches the ground to slow its slide, digging up earth behind it as the heavy machine slides to a halt against the dirt and rock, and it sparks from the damage Stinger did already, but it holds up. Well-build machine, that NEXT.

Archangel starts to move out, but he is skidding side to side, mostly checking over things, he does notice the guy going after to attack Boss Savage's unit and waves his AC's arms, contacting him directly, <<"Do Not attack the AC, we need to go now! The Pilots have re-control of them! Move out!">>

If anything Archangel overboosted to just snatch the much larger AC and drag it slightly just by sheer speed from not being exploded. Though he wasn't sure how he get Boss Savage's AC out unless the pilot itself gets the AC out.

<<"Looks like we don't have the time to catch up though, R.">> She comments from inside the Pod, the pink Core facing Archangel's, <<"I'll make sure this pod gets out, but I'm going to trust you make sure mine's with it too!">> She's always one to take one for the team, or rather, to focus on the team.

<<"After all, Boss isn't going to get himself out.">> They keep shooting Sledgehammer, "That, however, can be replaced."

The pink Core, as agile as ever, hops into the air a bit sluggishly - but the overboost catches in the air, the light-weight reverse joint suddenly taking off into the air. "About that soldier though... we wouldn't have made it out without him." You know. The one she killed.

The Core pilot takes it in stride. Usually you don't just kill an ally moments before.

Archangel quickly remarks back to Sumika, <<"Don't worry Sumika, I'm sure your in good hands. Just get out of here-- and if you have too.. Kick Stinger's AC in the aft plate to get him moving!">>

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Marcus Gunter transmits, "I'm going, I'm going! This isn't a Light 'Mech ya know!"

Wildcat shouts back to the stragglers (especially the Ravens) as he continues to retreat to the exit, pod under Red's left arm, <<"Come o~n... Let's go~...!">>

Note to Stinger--Wildcat /may/ be carrying /your/ pod. Scary thought, isn't it?

"I..." Simon stammers as the tower actually explodes. "I can't believe that worked!?" He didn't mean for it to sound like a question but he's still pretty amazed that spiral power can, apparently, conduct through rope. However this is actually a lie.

Spiral power doesn't need any damn rope.

But it made a useful focus for Simon to get things working for the Gurren and, so, for today: The impossible has been done, and the invisible has been seen. And they better escape before it's too late. They can't drill while carrying these pods too readily.

"Bro!" Simon shouts, "We better get going before it caves in or these pods'll be in trouble!"

And he starts running the Lagann towards the exit, possibly dragging the /Gurren/ along behind this time, though he probably won't be getting it flung into the air, but Kamina can probably feel the unusually powerful tugging from the Lagann--perhaps Simon just has more spirit in saving these people than coming down here in the first place?

The spire starts coming down, no doubt singing about cake in the process. Meiya removes pods with her sword, taking as many as she can and passing them to her squadmates. Each TSF carries as many of the life support pods as they can.

"I still have enough power to decapitate that heap you call an AC from here, R," Stinger transmits, incredibly annoyed. "Vertical booster got trashed. I'll move as fast as I'm able."

Stinger makes Vixen put all the power it's able to the thrusters, boosting along the ground and zipping between buildings on the way out. It's trailing sparks, but it's going pretty fast.

It takes all of Stinger's willpower to not shoot Leonhardt in the Overbooster on the way out and leave him for the cave bears.

Kamina isn't surprised when Simon begins dragging the Gurren with his spirit alone. He actually is pretty pleased to be in this position, watching the tiny Lagann go. He was seeing it. Simon was going forward with his strength and surpassing Kamina with every step. Pretty soon, Kamina would be staring at his back and following after his lead. The way it should be.

The Gurren clutches the pod, leaping to its feet to run behind the Lagann so the strain doesn't overwhelm Simon. He holds the pod and yells over the intercom, "Come on Simon! We're going to get that Pizza you like!"

"Rrghh... rgggrhhh?!" Savage asks.

Somehow, he's in the middle of a war-torn battlefield with everyone trying to kill him. Worse yet, his AC is half melted into itself! Most importantly, there's some douche-bag trying to kick him in the robot balls. The Sledgehammer covers itself, staggering back. "What t'hell y'tryin' there, sparkleboy? Wh- what?!"

There is a viewscreen. This viewscreen is filled with glowing sun explosives that were fired from a bazooka. It is a sun bazooka. There is some magic here that Boss Savage must take a whole three seconds to calculate out, specifically.

"Bazookas... with sun energy? This'n is violating the principles of bazookology on every conceivable level! Why're you tryin' to kill ol' Savage with such mundane rocket tricks? It's downright devilish!"

The Sledgehammer lurches forward, tilting its one surviving missile rack toward the ground. Two warheads fire, the explosion just barely coinciding with a thruster pulse from the core. Airborn, Boss Savage sees the sun missiles with the eye of a true master. He is like Aristotle painting the Sistine Chapel. Of bazookas.

The AC leapfrogs from sun-infused projectile to sun-infused projectile, its own missiles detonating them prematurely, each one giving it more and more boost. Daitarn 3, with the last batch of Clay Bazooka spawn, are the final hurdle.

"I am... a missile on th'wind!"

The last missile in the entire Sledgehammer's arsenal streaks out. The blast tumbles the battered core over and over, but propels it right over the Invincible Steel Man. Boss Savage's machine lands, sparking and torn, on its feet. That is the most it can manage.

The missile gods smile.

Once he is sure everyone is gone, Archangel bolts his AC out fully aware that right behind him the city is crashing down. So much history here, gone. So many legends, old tales, and stories long gone. The voices here from those past would forever echo here, even in its crumbled form.

This is the way the world moves, the way the world grows. Progress comes, either you move foreward with it, or you fight-- and end up destroyed.. that is the history lesson here, at least to Archangel it was.

He was once R, he is now Archangel, yet one foot was with his new name, but his other foot, his soul, was still in the past. How long would it be till he to was destroyed for linger there?

Only time will tell.

The Only Question Archangel had once he left out was...

How the hell was he gonna file a report on this. How much history did he have to catch these three on.. and damnit! There better be no bears outside!

The Valhawk is probably flying fast enough to case the joint for bears upon emergence into the Siberian surface wilderness, and if there ARE any, warn the other Trailer pilots what to watch out for.

Don't be silly, Archangel.

Everyone knows the cave bears live underground and only surface in Zora.

Or... do they?

"Let's, uh," Banjo comms as he stares at his monitors in dumbfounded shock and tromps towards the way he came in, "uh, let's just get these people to safety and find a place with a VIP room.

Daitarn-3 will crash right out of the mountainside and into the open air to escape this collapsing city.

Daitarn-3 does not give a fuck about mountains.

Wildcat cackles as Boss Savage pulls some good ol' fashioned tricks of the trade. <<"Good to have... you back... Boss...!">> He calls over the speakers to the last of the freed AC's to move out, spinning around and boosting right out of the collapsing Isaac City just in front of Archangel. <<"...Let's go home...!">>

"I /knew/ it was bullshit," Amuro Ray states, vindicated in his belief that cartoons never do anything right. He swiftly follows Daitarn-3 out of the giant hole in th earth it made, wincing slightly at the environmental damage. But, well, what are rocks going to do anyway?

"Yeah I think I need something to counteract this, uh, non-FDA-approved stimulant..." he replies. "I imagine a nice refreshing Haro Brand Light Beer will do the trick."

<Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "So...Mission successful...ish?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Did we earn the pay for it?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I-- have no clue" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Spectre just tsks. <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> R. Leonhardt ? <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "..... Archangel ..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Yes?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "If we went through all of that on just the down payment, do you realize how far repairs are gonna set us back?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "We still have 6 guys in pods. We could charge a mandatory 'defrosting' fee." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Like Stinger will pay" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat just chuckles. <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Castilla Shale transmits, "Was our Rex recovered?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Yes, he was." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Solis is on board my ship. We're headed to Bit Colony. Please do me a favor and do -not- perform any rituals on my ship or equipment while you're on board." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Castilla Shale transmits, "Only those required for possible repair to our Rex's equipment.." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "You mean his mech? Yeeah...bad news on that front..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Hope you guys didn't pay too much for that." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Think he had to shoot up the cockpit after it got hacked." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "So--" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I'll pay for everyone's drinks?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Mihiro Ardygun transmits, "..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "We had to ditch it when we evacuated. It's probably under a few thousand tons of rubble by now." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Drinks are good yes?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Repairs are better." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...Hmmmm..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "Decent food and a clean room to sleep in for the night are even better than that." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Hey, I gotta take care of my AC. go bug-- those civilians we saved." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Who are they, anyway?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Fine, put on my tab for some decent food and a room." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "If you could hook me up with some kind of explanation on what the hell happened, that would be keen." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Civilians we saved, I don't know-- the three we faced and who... I am thankful to save.. was 3 very good AC pilots." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I am working on a message update for the Trailers now.." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Macua Huitl transmits, "WEll this will be fun don't they have to get declaired alive again?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...Details..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I don't believe they were ever declaired dead." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Or even missing. They took a mission, and that is all we knew." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Any chance they'll pay anything for their rescue?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...No..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Worth a shot." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Don't ask a guy named Stinger that.. he may punch you." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat cackles. <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Hey, I didn't even evac any pods. The only guy I got to my ship with was Solis, and I'm pretty sure if I asked him for payment, he'd just offer to perform free blessings on my equipment." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Kazuma Ardygun transmits, "You ought to take him up on it, we need all the help we can get sometimes. Just warn him away from making any permanent markings in the process if that's a deal-breaker." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Little transmits, "You get any of your damned techno-mysticism around MY equipment, and I'll carve my own blasted 'blessing runes' into your goddamned spleen!" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Those three AC pilots we saved.. I will admit, are good pilots. Stinger is former military, was-- older than me, I may have caught up to him now. Boss Savage was into explosives and had some form smithing knowledge I believe, and Sumika-- hehe.. Sumika was a former operator, like myself. She was great at scouting missions, gathering intel, and had a quick trigger finger in combat. Though, I admit-- they are a small portion of Ravens we once had, many which had either now gone into retirement or just stepped down for a time. Those three-- I'll have to say, are gonna be in a shock when they realize allot of stuff." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Archangel, you aren't getting misty-eyed for the past on us now, are you?" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "Hahaha" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "No" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "The Past is the Past." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Sly Heckler transmits, "Well, have fun bringing them up to speed. If you want to really shock them, I can give you four a lift to the L-Sphere next time I'm out that way. See how they react to hanging on a different world." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...It is good... to have them back..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Otsdarva transmits, "Like a briiidge over troubled water~o/" <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I imagine for now, the three of them are probably going to be doing allot of reading, video feed watching, and-- me finding someone attempting to dodge a high heel from Sumika." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat cackles weakly. "...Or Boss... trying to blow up... something... or someone..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Wildcat transmits, "...But if someone needs me... I'll be... at the bar..." <Radio: A - Trailer Chat> Archangel transmits, "I may be joining you Wildcat once I am sure everything checks green with my old girl."

SRT Bloopers
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Nerve's Concord = GlaDOS??!?

[OOC] Leonhardt oh god [OOC] Kazuma Ardygun says, "Okay. Do we jump at the first mention of a portal gun, wait until the mention of grief counseling, or hold out long enough to rescue the Companion Cube?" [OOC] Boss Savage says, "What is "jump." The only answer I should hear from you is "shoot rocket."" [OOC] Archangel says, "The cake is a lie!!"

Death of Nerve's Concord

[OOC] Simon says, "rofl" [OOC] Solis Vivent says, "Take that plagiarism!" [OOC] Wildcat laughs! [OOC] Archangel hahahs [OOC] Marcus Gunter says, "Beautiful."

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The End!

[OOC] Stinger says, "Incidentally" COMBAT: Stinger has attacked Leonhardt. TAROS Dual-Blade Mastery added to their queue. COMBAT: Stinger has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Leonhardt has activated a spirit command. COMBAT: Stinger has missed Leonhardt with his TAROS Dual-Blade Mastery attack. COMBAT: Leonhardt has missed Stinger with his Knighthood's Feather counter attack. [OOC] Stinger says, "I am now all set." [OOC] Archangel laughs [OOC] Leonhardt PTTTTTTTTHBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT [OOC] Wildcat LAUGHS! [OOC] Archangel says, "and now, when we get an official Stinger" [OOC] Archangel says, "leon will want to kill him. XD" [OOC] Archangel says, "In secrete" [OOC] Leonhardt says, "Please tell me that was IC" [OOC] Leonhardt says, "-Please-" [OOC] Stinger @mail Stinger=Note To Self/Destroy Rosenthal [OOC] Archangel says, "It should be" [OOC] Stinger says, "It was not, I am losing my mind." [OOC] Leonhardt says, "I know the feeling"

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Trailers Message Board Announcement
Message: 14/23 Subject: Isaac City Posted: Jan 30 2010 From: Archangel

Hello everyone,

Several of us Trailers went to a location known as Isaac City. This City was built by Chrome Industries, before they were bought out by another, now much larger, corporation which is part of an Aliance group that builds AC parts. This City was shut down, some time ago, however it seems when shutting it down they forgot to turn off a very advance AI. No sight to hign-sight I suppose.

It seems three of Raven's Nest pilots, back when were assigned there and seemed to have been captured by the AI's schemes. Their ACs were used against the Pilot's wills and used for the AI's own. They should not be judged for these actions.

I also believe they have been missing for at least 4-5 years, thus they will need some assistance on catching up with the times, as I know from research in Cryogen sleep, you don't age.

I wish I could give a further report on this, but that is all I can detail down. Isaac City is gone, the AI destroyed, and we gained three ravens back in our nest and that means three members for the Trailers.

I'll be in Touch, - Archangel