Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 3: Crisis Point

[Dandragon]

Elaine was still recovering from the hit, and didn’t immediately register who it was that had called to her. “Yeah, I’m...okay. Head is feeling pretty rattled, though-“ The gears in her head had begun to turn, and Elaine, still holding her head with one hand, turned towards the purple haired spectator, and looked...confused.

”I’m sorry, Do uh...Do I know you?” Maybe her name had been shouted before, and that was why this woman had used it, but Elaine couldn’t recall hearing her name specifically during the game. Then again, it was difficult to recall details like that seconds after a volleyball to the head. And speaking of the volleyball, around this time was when it landed back on the sand. “Elaine turned back to see it. “Ah, damn... Okay, that’s a point to their side!” Elaine called, wincing. 

[Shin]

Tarquin's strike had been a little disappointing, nobody had been able to react quick enough to get another hit in. The only consolation was that he'd gotten a free shot in on Elaine - the most he could do was silently dedicate the move to Nikolai. His absence was still very much present in Tarquin's mind, would he even have agreed to play the game otherwise? The failure he felt from the poorly aimed ball wasn't particularly significant, not winning in a game meant far less than missing a crucial shot in battle or a mission gone wrong. When every other expectation in one's life was so vital, it really decreased the impact of anything less. Normal teenagers had their own pressures and worries, but everything was relative. The stresses and pressures of his own existence were vastly different to them, having too much homework or not having a date to a prom sat relatively low down on his stress gauge.

Spectators had grabbed Elaine's attention, and they appeared to know her. Tarquin's initial thoughts were that perhaps they were friends of Elaine, but her reaction and the concept of her maintaining a friendship made that seem incredibly unlikely. There was something off-putting about the interaction, but it was soon put in the background by the continuation of the game.

"Chin up, tyke. The effort was there, a little more practice and you'll be stealing points left, right and centre." Bill assured, giving an approving nod. He'd also noticed the two spectators, one of them seemed familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. There was something they both shared though, an aura that felt almost adversarial, a force not to be reckoned with. There was no other explanation, they were both volleyball experts. The way they watched the game so intently, it was like they were sizing everyone up. If they dared join the fray, it would be the crew's biggest challenge yet. 

[Phoenix]

It was absolutely maddening. The last thing Tonya could focus on right now was the volleyball game. Her instincts had been screaming at her from the beginning to get off the court and go find Brant. By the time she spotted him, again, the game had already started, and it wasn't long before he and Chris made their way over to Firmia and Hannah ... and Roxanna ... and one other person in what looked like a wheelchair. Tonya was just a whim away from asking one of the other observers to swap in for her so she could go see what was happening, and why she felt so blasted tense, right now. It was so rare for it to happen outside of a machine or a tough sparring match ...

---

"It honestly doesn't matter," Brant shook his head, sympathy trying to find its way to the surface and being swiftly trampled. "There's no version of this story where you deserve any better than you got. So you really should just get over it." Justice wasn't preemptive--as far as Brant knew, but with someone like Louise, that was fine by him. Being crippled just brought out her true colors, apparently, so whatever Alphonse thought was too risky, so be it. If Louise was going to act like a monster, Brant was inclined to treat her like one.

Firmia knew she was going to have to start high in order to get as much as she could out of Louise, but first, she wanted to address something that was really starting to irritate her. It was also a chance to subtly pass on a bit of information to her allies. "I don't know how you keep in contact with your 'associates,' but you should warn them to keep their distance if you want them to keep giving you useful information, because I am not Jessica. I'm not in this war to have a good time; I'm in it to destroy you and everyone helping you. The only time I will spare anyone working with Apotheosis is if they surrender to me, first. If I figure any of them out before that, they're dead." Once again, she wondered--involuntarily so--what was happening back at the base. She would have to check in with A1 soon, but for now there was this lovely conversation ...

"Speaking of the dead ... I would like to know who your higher ranking pilots are, especially the one that shot down the Black Swan near Great Lake Base."

Brant winced at the question, realizing Firmia hadn't even come close to healing from that wound. Fair enough; it wasn't too long ago.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Phoenix

[Nanami Touko]

Surprise

"Do you know me? Not personally, but you do." Louise had already blown their cover, and much as Vera wished to ride things out, it seemed someone else was about to blow hers.

Christina had been about to grab and toss the ball back towards Bill, when she turned to see who Elaine was talking to. She dropped the ball, and her legs followed suit, weakly scrambling back in the same, wide eyed horror meeting miss purple hair. "V-Vera... Vera! Wh-Why, how!? How are you here!?"

Avery shot to attention, looking over, swallowing hard. Blondie wasn't about to lie... But if the enemy forces super cyborg was standing right there, why weren't they all dead? It didn't make sense.

"Hey, guilty as charged. You all look like you're holding up pretty well, despite the war. Don't get too alarmed, I just came to talk. Was going to ask to play, but Louise blew our cover. Guess it was only a matter of time... So, you all wanna continue playing, or is it time to toss words around? I'd really prefer to keep watching, but... I get it if people have things to say." She shrugged, smiling coolly.

Matter of Perspective

Louise chuckled, before it unfurled into a full on laugh. As she tried to quiet herself, she glanced towards the beach-- towards Jess --, then back at Brant, giggling ever so quietly. "You're telling me to get over something? You're hilarious. I do love gossiping over the Riese's wonderful little relationships, tell me, Brant, how long did it take her to open your heart and then step on it? Hmm? Less than a day, maybe two? I don't know all the details, I don't have ears everywhere, so let's hear it from the horse's mouth. Besides... That's just your opinion. I beg to differ... Obviously, if we all got along, we wouldn't be at war, hmhmhm."

Chris' fist was the next to meet Louise's barrier, a couple of extra ones thrown in for good measure. The woman seemed rather bothered by the clone tossing her weight around, but there wasn't much she could do about it short of shooting her. Much as she wanted to, that would escalate things much, much further, and she didn't want to lose assets like Vera and Esther... Why had Vera even brought Esther, this wasn't an actual beach trip. Chris finally gave up, taking a step back, Louise shooting her a glare that almost screamed 'are you done yet'?

"H-How... How dare you talk to him like that. You couldn't understand a fucking thing about what he's going through!"

"Oh, great, the meat sack loves you too. Quite the player, aren't we, Abrams?"

"Shut up you bitch!"

Louise sighed. "Funny you should mention Jessica, Firmia... Hmm, no, that one's best left to its own unraveling~ Just saying that is going to make you incredibly suspicious though, isn't it? Hmmmm... Well, first, I'll tell you about that sniper. Carlos Santana, you won't find anything about him in the ANF database, he's a mercenary we picked up... Quite the sharpshooter, you've had the pleasure of dealing with him. You took half of his machine, didn't you? Impressive, very impressive. He's the one that shot down your transport, so by all means, kill him, if you can. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... I really shouldn't tell you this. Helena will be so mad at me... But you've no way of proving it even if I do, so I suppose her plans get to continue. I wonder if you'll even believe me? What reason do you have to believe I'm telling the truth, after all~?"

Louise cackled quietly again, enjoying holding all the cards. The reactions from things were wonderful, save for the clone's impotent outrage. "Tell, you, what, my favorite little Alkaev. If you give me a copy of all of your AMS data... I'll tell you who one of the moles on the Riese is. I'll sign a contract, promise it in blood, do whatever you'd like-- that doesn't take me out of this bubble, I'm sure the lot of you really wish you could drive sharp objects into me... Does that sound like a deal to you? Then again, knowing you, you'd demand the names of every mole on the ship, can't have security breached so easily like that... But I'm only offering one. Take it or leave it~"

[Dandragon]

If the reveal of Vera’s identity hadn’t been enough, the mention of a single name made Elaine freeze completely. Louise. Louise was here.

‘The next time we talk, it’ll be in person. That’s the plan, anyway~‘

Over the day and a half that she had spent here, spending time with the rest of the crew, Elaine had managed to push everything about Louise to the back of her mind. She hadn’t thought about her or her threats, she hadn’t worried about whatever she had said, and she didn’t even think on how she was going to handle herself when they next spoke.

‘What’s got you so hung up on saving the world? Surely it’s not the killing... You’ve already killed so many people.’

But now, faced with her presence in a moment of vulnerability, everything now resurfaced, all at once. Everything that she had been feeling up to now, whatever fun she had from the game, whatever pain she felt from the ball, whatever she had was now gone, replaced a single, solitary emotion that consumed her entire being: fear. Fear had taken over, completely, and left her standing in the middle of the beach, eyes wide, staring back at the volleyball now plopped down onto the sand, unable to move. 

Oh god. Oh god, she’s here. Why? Why is she HERE? How is she here?! How much does she know, now? No. No no no no dear god NO. Please. Please don’t come near me. Not here. Not now. Please just leave me alone. PLEASE.

Elaine finally found the strength to move her head, scanning, searching for her. All she could spot, however, was a wherlchair, amongst a crowd of people standing far away from the volleyball court. But, that was enough to identify her, even without seeing her physically. And it made her shudder. 

[Phoenix]

So that's what was going on! Tonya was caught between relief and the stress of knowing exactly how much danger they were in. Of course, she could play off danger easily enough, even while essentially naked. "If you wanted to swap in, by all means," Tonya offered her spot, her eyes on Brant and company. "I'll be back eventually." She doubted anyone else wanted to play with their mortal enemy on either side of the court, but that was their problem to sort out. Tonya didn't even wait for Vera to accept, and started jogging off toward the beach chairs.

---

It was no surprise that Louise knew about his troubles with Jessica, and it was fully expected that she would treat that situation the way she did, like some kind of amusing highschool drama. The satisfaction of shooting her down would linger for days, Brant just knew it. It would be all the better if they could keep her from killing anyone else in the meantime. Total defeat, that's exactly what this haughty piece of work needed. Chris was more interested in pummeling the monster outright, but there was no getting through that barrier ...

"How about this?" Brant's eyes narrowed at Louise, "You hop into a comfy jail cell and I'll tell you all about it. As long as you're an enemy combatant, I've got nothing to share with you." He didn't expect that to rile her at all, but the terms were real. It was just a wonder Chris seemed to bother her. If anything, Louise ought to find physical outbursts the most amusing, or at least not mind them. Right? Maybe it had something to do with the barrier's functionality, or Chris in particular? Or maybe Louise was worried it could inadvertently start a scuffle with the whole group before she'd gotten whatever she wanted from them ...

Meatsack ... ... really? "... don't think I'm going to lift a finger to stop her or anyone else from ripping your face off when we take you down, Louise. You're just going to have to self destruct like the rest of them." He meant that as much as the jail cell offer, but really, either outcome seemed too good for her.

Firmia scowled when Louise alluded to something unraveling regarding Jessica, as if the Alkaev didn't already suspect her. She was the primary suspect; only an idiot or a traitor would handle a crew and prisoners the way she did. That did make Firmia wonder where Alphonse fit into all of this. Louise hated the man, apparently, but he was Jessica's biggest supporter, as well as the one that got her command of the Riese, if the Alkaev recalled correctly. That made him a distant liability of sorts. It was really weird thinking about it from that angle. There was the chance that Louise's hatred for the man ran counter to, or at least separate from Apotheosis' goals. That was one way to make sense of the Admiral's situation.

Louise's offer was far too one-sided for Firmia's taste, and she planned to say as much, but was momentarily distracted by a sense of terror ...--no pure horror, coming from somewhere by the volleyball game. Brant winced, meaning he caught it, too. Firmia looked over and saw that nothing was happening, yet. Tonya was heading their way, and the fear wasn't coming from her, but other than that ...

"They know ..." Brant assured Chris as he frowned at the halted game.

Firmia took a second to refocus. "One mole for three mobile suit readouts isn't even worth considering when you get to pick the least important one and I might not have time to deal with any of them." Even if said mole was here, she couldn't just walk over and blow their head off without some evidence. "And besides, why would I trade valuable data when I've been able to protect my information so far?" Firmia didn't actually believe her data hadn't been compromised somehow, but it was an important point to make. The question wasn't rhetorical, but she moved on to her next point without waiting for a response. "And no, while I'd like to know who all of them are, the fact that you two are here right now changes everything. The moles are the least of our problems if you can move around and catch us like this."

Between Vance kicking them off the ship at the worst possible time and Louise baiting her with one of three names that were rapidly nearing irrelevance, Firmia was feeling especially frustrated. In terms of fighting a war, they were so far out of position that even if they got the names of all the moles, the best they could do was try and detain the ones here on the beach--and there were so many ways that could go sideways, right now. Any mole not present was as free a bird with ANF security on the case. All they needed was a little advanced warning via radio and they were gone. Did anyone besides Firmia even bring a weapon? Not including Hannah and her lethal limbs.

"If that's what you're offering then I'm leaving it, but I do appreciate the name of that sniper," Firmia forced a smile that did nothing to hide her contempt, "as well as the fact that we got a trophy from him in the last battle."

Wait ... that meant the one who took down Nikolai really was the same guy! They needed to take him down before he did even more serious damage. And speaking of damage, Firmia was still unsure of the situation back at the ships. She'd been so worried that more moles were incoming to replace or augment the first wave in preparation for capturing the Riese ... but if two of Apotheosis' lieutenants could just come here at their leisure and taunt them, then there was no telling what the crew might eventually return to: sabotaged mobile suits, compromised ship systems, booby traps, bugs to replace any compromised moles, maybe even stolen data, equipment and materials. Would the Riese itself even be there when they got back? Her only hope at the moment was that the Avalon would seem too puny for Apotheosis to bother with, and that the AMS units had at least been brought over intact. Even if A1 didn't notice anyone doing something they shouldn't be to the suits, they should still check them over as soon as they got back. Firmia was about ready to check in on the little AI, even if Louise was right there, watching. There was a good chance she already knew A1 was keeping an eye on things for her.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Phoenix

[scorri]

Astin had been caught up enough in the game to not notice the observers until Chrissy named one of them. Vera's name being dropped was enough to cause them to flinch before spinning to face the Apotheosis member who had the gall to suggest they keep playing volleyball. Managing to put a small smirk on their face, they did their best to keep their voice casual. "Mmm, I think you ruined the mood, sorry. Oh, by the way, how's your bot doing? Get a new sword yet?" 

Taunt aside, they quickly glanced around. Two, maybe three Apotheosis members here, though Astin vaguely remembered the other girl being there before, and... There was Louise with the Russians and others. Which explained where Tonya had gone. The captain... Wasn't here. Right. "Hey Avery? It might be good to find the captain. She might want to meet our visitors." Plus it got Avery out of the immediate area if things stopped being so polite.

[Shin]

The conversation had changed rather dramatically in tone, Christina's proclamation had transformed it from Elaine's mystery friends visiting to an infiltration by their most potent enemies. It wasn't entirely clear why they were there, or how they'd gotten in, but they didn't appear to have an attack in their current plans. From what Tarquin knew of Vera, any sort of assault would end poorly, the safest way forward to maintain a safe distance. Neither of them were the sniper, and Tarquin's chance of success was virtually zero. Unless a patrolling Legionary happened to wander in and step on Vera, they were very much forced to play her game.

Tarquin couldn't help but feel suspicious about Elaine, her extreme reaction to Louise only implied the worst. Knowing them but not personally? Either they were playing games or Elaine had ties to Apotheosis that she shouldn't have. Whatever the situation they were dealing with was, the entire crew needed to be careful.

[Xinnidy]

True Colors

"You..." Roxanna was disgusted. That woman certainly loved to go on and on... What does she mean, what did uncle do? "I don't know what happened with you and my uncle, but I don't need it to know you're a crazy bitch. I hope he doesn't even remember you. Do you really think you're going to accomplish something coming up and throwing shade like that?" Roxanna was scowling, backing her hand to slap Louise before stopping herself --Hannah and Chris already proved how pointless that was going to be--. "Are you really trying to make a deal with Firmia? I'm damned sure she wants your little terrorist group burned down just as much as I do." What a nutcase...

No Cover

Esther would have little leg to stand on after all that staring from Vera, blushing and averting her gaze, but thankfully the topic was about to get shifted drastically. "Damn Vera, that's the quickest choke I've ever seen." The girl snickered, shaking her head. Ah well, she just wanted to follow Vera around anyways, no matter how things devolved. "Take care..." Esther kept a concerned gaze on Vera still, hoping things wouldn't devolve drastically, the worst result for both sides. This was all stupid Louise's idea, Helena is going to be so mad...

 

The tension was palpable, and it did not go unnoticed by their observer. Caroline was starting to doubt things as the group's cold reception of this woman made her origins feel shady. Should she continue there anymore, with things close to blowing up? Should she call somebody? Caroline was picking herself up from the chair, trying to look natural as she did so. "I think I gotta g--"

"Please stay where you are." Esther cut her, keeping it short with a curt, but pleading tone.

"O-okay..." Caroline dropped butt-first onto the chair again. She was tense now, trying to keep the panic from showing. Is she threathening me? ohmygodohmygod--

 

Who?

The ball hit the sand on their side of the court. Makoto was relieved, their team scored after all! "Yeah, we did it!" It was nice to start on the right foot, but there was a commotion going on between Elaine and... somebody that was watching and cheering them on, and suddenly the whole game was breaking apart. People didn't want to play anymore? Christina's outburst was a bit slow to process, but when it hit him, Makoto finally understood it all.

"W-where's dad?" He mumbled softly under his breath. "You're the one piloting that samurai robot, right? Is dad here?" Makoto hastily put himself in a defensive position, at Christina's side.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Xinnidy

[Balcerzak]

Abby scoffed a little at the captain's remarks, but snickered when Kim continued her good game of teasing. Then the ensign bent down, doing what he could to make the mounting process as smooth as possible. It was all perfectly natural, but something about his behaviour--his... deference, hesitation, maybe--struck Abigail as a little odd. She couldn't be sure if he falling into some silly old-fashioned gentlemanly routine, or if Jess's words still had him shy and uncertain. Either way, it felt a little odd, if the fact that he was a man and she was a woman was actually having such an effect on him.

No, she was just overthinking things. Putting her hands on Tristan's shoulders and boosting herself up, skillfully avoiding driving her knee into his back as she got herself situated, Abby considered the two gameplans he suggested. ...Wait.

"TK? The lieutenant?" That little revelation was unexpected, and a bit rattling even. Abigail couldn't but turn her head and stare slightly, as her brain got to processing things, making sense of bits and pieces when it could, and struggling when it couldn't. "Uh... well, hmm. That does complicate things a little. Probably still the right target for now."

With a slight wiggle of the hips as she got into a more comfortable position, Abby swung her legs backward, and hooked her feet around the ensign's back for better purchase. Then she rested a hand on the top of his head as she sized up the opposition and prepared for battle.

[Nanami Touko]

Trades

"Boo, you're so boring, Brant." Louise didn't have much else to say to him, he was quite the stone face right now. At least Firmia was getting upset, it was so cute. Roxanna had another outburst as well, ah, the girls here were wonderful~

"I'm sure you all wish to see me torn apart or set on fire or whatever other pretty little things your minds can come up with... And don't you worry, Roxanna. My mind broke when my body did, I know how crazy I am. Thank you Alphonse~" Another hearty chuckle, though it ended more sinister, more heavy. She really did hold a powerful grudge against whatever had happened before.

"No trade? Well that's no fun... You must be worried about what's happening while we're all here, aren't you? You seem so... Elsewhere. I bet you're thinking, 'oh no, if they can get in here, they're already ruining the ship!' Well, we're not. Unfortunately." Louise looked quite dejected at that fact, sighing. "Vera, ever the fucking samurai. I love her, I do, but you'd think she'd realize this is war, not some honorable duel. She refused to come with me unless we didn't interfere in anything past this... And much as I'm confident in our technology, if you were all somehow able to get through this, I'd really rather have her as backup than not. Does that calm your nerves? Probably not enough to trade information... Fine, this is as low as I'll go. One for one. But it has to be the Regalia. Give me the data on that and I'll tell you something you've been dying to hear." Louise smiled again, staring almost through Firmia, trying to unnerve her. She was convinced the Alkaev wouldn't open up, but having mentioned Jessica... Perhaps she'd falter, just a bit.

"And if not, it's been a pleasure, really. I've always wanted to meet a few of you in person. You're quite adorable Firmia, and Roxanna, if you could lose your attitude, I'm sure you'd find someone nice to settle down with. A dose of success would feel good, wouldn't it?"

Cold Open

"Y-Yeah, Astin, darlin', I, uh... My legs ain't workin' so good. Don't... Don't really think I can bring m'self t'head over there." As Avery took Astin's arm, it was quite apparent just how much she was shaking. She wasn't a soldier, she wasn't trained past the basics. She was just an engineer, and the sight of this woman, this monster that had taken entire facilities solo, killed so many with just her arms and legs... It was horrifying to be standing in front of her. When was she going to attack? How? With what? It was too much to think about, shutting her eyes and clinging tighter to Astin's arm.

"Looks like no one's happy to see me. I did actually, Astin, thanks for asking. Is my old one treating you well? I wouldn't be surprised if your engineers had gotten past the security on it. Really, it was my fault for getting so careless. I should've taken you all more seriously... I won't make the same mistake twice." Despite the tension, Vera spoke with all sincerity, almost smiling at her loss. It was nice, for her, to see such powerful young pilots. "My only regret is that we're not on the same side. I'd hate to kill you."

"Where's dad?"

Who was? Oh... The Watanabe kid. Would it be best to ignore him? No. Leaving him in the dark like that wasn't fair. "Your father offered himself up willingly, Makoto. I was about to take any one of them, from that crowd, but he stepped forward... And not for any altruistic reasons. He wished to continue developing weapons, without the ANF's grip on him. His ideas are... Beyond the scope of war. Helena doesn't care what he does, as long as we win. I'm sorry you have to hear this. I know that losing your father must be hard on you, but..." There was no real way to wrap that up was there? It was an awful situation for him. He thought his dad had been taken, lost to him, but really... He was an evil man, bent on creating weapons of mass destruction, for the sake of science. How could anyone take that well? Vera didn't want to tell him, but not knowing had to be worse.

 

TK

"Er, yes? Whoa, uh..." Tristan did his best not to fidget, still mildly uncomfortable with the process, but not putting up a fuss once Abigail was finally settled... Not a vocal one, anyway. "Lieutenant Kim is a Telekinetic. I thought this was common knowledge to the ship. You may still be able to get the handle of her, though that all depends on how quick you are. She'll be able to feel every move coming, and is deftly trained in ANF CQC, same as the rest of us. Perhaps a bit more so, I'm not quite sure the standards of the TK training facilities." However tough the routines were, where Kim had been trained, Tristan was already in this mess, no getting out now. Hands up on Abby's thighs to help keep her steady, the captain and lieutenant seemed just as ready.

"What he's trying to say, hun, is that you chose the wrong partner. Prepare yourself, haha!" Jess was letting herself have a bit more fun than she normally would with this, hands tight on Kim's thighs, charging forward through the water. "Let's get 'em, Lieutenant!"

 

[Ether]

Everything fell into place as those words left Abigail's lips, the empty stare and the impossible to ignore cogs turning in the ex-rebel's feelings upon the revelation she had been given. Even as the others began to get further into position to commence their game, Kim paused, rather than taking a lowered stance as she would have normally once Jessica started to move, she instead sat rather loosely atop the Captain's shoulders, gripping just enough not to fall off without any outside interference. Lips pursed in a pensive manner, teeth biting into her lower lip all the while, it was all she could do to look back at Abigail.

"That won't... be a problem, will it?" The Lieutenant asked, far more timid than normal, her hands gently coming to rest on Jessica's hair. The others seemed to already be starting despite, it wouldn't take much to dunk Seung-Min into the drink if one was so inclined, malicious or not.

[Phoenix]

Boring? Maybe she should try chatting with him somewhere else then, like on the battlefield. Brant doubted that would be boring ...

Firmia was shocked to hear Louise's explanation on Vera and what it took to get her out here. Why did Vera get a say in any of this, anyway? Wasn't Helena in charge? ... wait. Had these two narcissistic terrorists come here all by themselves? Not under orders from someone higher up the chain of command? It was the most incredulous face Firmia had ever made to anyone, ever, and she didn't even realize she was making it. "No, that doesn't calm my nerves. You're telling me that you just came here to poke and prod us, and you're leaving everything else to chance?"

"Yeah, 'wow' doesn't ... quite cover this," Brant murmured.

Firmia forced another barely passable smile. "Well then, I guess I'll have to return the favor by not outright vaporizing Vera and everything she cares about like I was originally going to." Firmia didn't mention 'people' for the sake of her allies ... but she definitely included that in her mental image of Apotheosis' pilots being emotionally ruined. Anything that would hurt these people psychologically was extremely tempting for her. It admittedly ran in the family. "As for the data, again, why would I give you something for information I might not be able to act on? And on top of that, you get to pick the suits again, but I don't get to decide which mole I want information on? At best, you'll confirm someone I've already planned for and I essentially get nothing."

Immediately, and to Brant's surprise, Firmia's gaze shot straight to him. Thankfully her anger wasn't centered on him, though it was still a little odd ... "There's already a mole I'm certain of, but there are at least two others." Unsure of where Firmia was going with this, or what it had to do with him specifically, Brant nodded. "I may have a way to make this work for us, but it's still dangerous. You're the Regalia's pilot, so it's up to you."

"It's your machine," Brant winced. Firmia's gaze didn't soften or waver in the slightest.

"It's your life," Firmia countered.

Brant glanced at Louise, then at Chris, his future copilot. He wasn't terribly worried about the Regalia's data being used to completely demolish them in battle, but he was certain that giving into this madwoman on any issue was a step too far, even if it did help them in the short term. In the long term, they would pay for it. Somehow, they would pay for it. When Brant's eyes met Firmia's again, he shook his head. "Don't do it. You worked too hard protecting that data to give any of it up now. I'll help you find the other two moles if there's still time, but you know what Apotheosis is like. They use people and machines in exactly the same way. Even now she's willing to give up her associates to us just for some MS data. And these assholes think they're the ones that should be running the world. Anything that helps them is going to hurt everyone else, no matter how minor. So tell Louise to get off her ass and work for it."

For the first time in a good few minutes, Firmia had a genuine smile she could show, but she kept her expression stern, and nodded back at him. Then she eyed Louise. "You heard him. If you want the AMS data, do some actual work for it, and stop trading human lives like currency just to get what you want."

[Nanami Touko]

Negotiations Over

Louise rolled her eyes. "I told you that you were boring, Brant. Fine, then I'm leaving. It was a pleasure talking to you, Firmia~ Your android is wonderful. Once I'm done snapping your spine one vertebrae at a time, and then finish removing your head clean from your body... I think I'll take my time looking into what makes her tick. Out of everything we have on hand, a machine as sophisticated as this, just isn't on the list. Oh well." Louise shrugged, pressing a few buttons on a newly revealed pad on her wheelchair. "Oh, right. Don't try anything smart with Vera when I go. We've a battleship nearby, and I will rain holy hell on you lot if she doesn't come back on time. Previous agreements or not. Ta-ta~" A bright light suddenly enveloped Louise, her and her chair disappearing once it was finished. Warping tech, just like the machines...

"My scanners aren't picking up anything in the immediate... O-Oh no." Hannah looked panicked, staring at the spot Louise had just been in. "There's... A-A large vessel, just on the edge of my range. I can only assume it's a Chaldene model. I... I guess they do have a ship nearby."

"Fucking bitch... Fuck. Fuck!" Chris was shaking with anger, biting her lip, fists clenched so hard that-- "Ah! Sh, Shit..." She flinched, releasing the grip on her right hand... Far too tight, her nails had cut into her skin, a small trickle of blood making its way out of the tiny wound. "God, dammit... I couldn't do anything. If I could... If I could've gotten my hands, on her scrawny little neck, I would've... I...!"

"It's okay, Chris." Hannah had come over, a hand on the blonde's shoulder, trying to smile calmly. "We all understand how you feel. I'm sure Brant and Firmia feel the same. I would... Apply much quicker methods, but I agree with your anger. If they're going to attack tomorrow... Then we'll have our chance at giving her everything she deserves, and more."

Chris tried to keep herself calm, the robot was right, but... B-But... "W-We're hitting the sims, as soon as we get back. I'm getting used to your machine, without any breaks, and until I'm the best co-pilot I can damn well be, I'm not stopping. I... I won't let her get away with throwing her ego around like she's queen of the world-- like she's already won! I'll tear that smug grin right off her face! I... I'll..." She was trying to calm herself, but nothing was helping. Just anger, rage, and more anger, at least leveling out, but not simmering down.

[Phoenix]

"She's right," Brant said, carefully taking Chris' injured hand. It was almost depressing to see that fury trying so hard to escape and having nowhere to go but inward. Brant was starting to wonder if his way of coping with the Jessica situation wasn't causing similar damage to him. Granted, there was a part of himself he was trying to murder in cold blood, but rage wasn't so easily confined. Even in this situation, though he was calm for the most part, he truly wanted the others to have their way with Louise, now matter how cruel that turned out. With someone like her ... well, Brant supposed it wasn't really complicated. His hatred was merely a quiet, deliberating beast, unwilling to pounce until he had a gun in his hand. "I promise when we're done, you'll know the Regalia like the back of your hand. We're going to finish whatever Alphonse started the next time she shows up." Maybe it was a mistake to the Admiral, but for them it was personal now, and they would be armed to the teeth next time, far from helpless. So would Louise, but with everyone working together, they would still take her down.

"Not if we're buried under two hundred tons of rubble and circuitry," Firmia muttered to herself, her tone low and bitter. "Hannah, can you go warn the others about the ship and not to provoke Vera? And then hurry back here so we can try to sort all of this out." At the same time, Firmia was turning her tablet's screen back on and hoping to see through A1's main camera. She couldn't tell which hangar the suits were in, but A1 was definitely at the foot of the Regalia. It wasn't a particularly useful angle to be viewing things from, but A1 was autonomous, and had orders to keep an eye out for anyone tampering with the suits, so there must not have been anything going on to warrant his attention. At least, that was Firmia's hopeful conclusion.

"Also, Roxanna," Firmia got up and turned to face the XO, "You should warn Admiral Martinson. They need to keep him guarded at all times."

"Hey! So they can do that Star Trek crap now, too?" Tonya called over as she closed the distance, "I mean, I know they could always do that but I thought it was just for the big stuff ..." As soon as she noticed Brant with Chris' bleeding hand, her words quickly tapered off. "I could use a briefing," Tonya smiled awkwardly.

"Soon, just stay here," Firmia instructed, turning the screen off, again, "Leisure time's over, and I need everyone here in case we have to get out of the building." There was no excuse to mess around with a battleship lurking nearby, ready to level the place. Security really dropped the ball. They dropped the ball on their foot ... and then they staggered around yelling at the top of their lungs ... and finally slipped down some stairs. Out of sight, but not out of mind.

"Battleship ...?" That was an even better explanation for how tense she felt earlier.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Phoenix

[Dandragon]

In a flash of light, the wheelchair she had spotted amongst the crowd had vanished. Was she gone? Without a single word to her? Perhaps Louise had forgotten all about her. Either way, Elaine felt only slight relief, as there was still a dangerous terrorist just a few feet away from her. She turned towards Vera, trying to find words to speak, but only able to stare, a look of fear still plastered on her face. In the end, she said nothing, and turned away, walking only a few steps outside the court, and then looked down to A2, still attached to her wrist after Brant gave it to her. She typed up a quick message to send to Brant’s communicator, and hoped he would reply. 

Is she gone?

[TheRoon]

Oh how deeply invested Aliza had to be in the game to completely let all this slip by her. But sadly that all came to a crashing halt when some outbursts came up around a certain cyborg samurai. As people slowly stopped playing the game, Aliza did the same. Curious as the the commotion going on nearby. An Apotheosis pilot? Vera? That was a name she didn't expect to hear in the beach of all places. Despite not knowing her personally Aliza was debriefed on Vera as an extreme threat to the entire team. Her eyes widened at the realization, but it seemed her team mates had the situation, and themselves for that matter, under control for the most part.

Save for one girl. Elaine. She noticed her friend walking out looking quite staggered. "...Elaine?" She turned and approached, and quickly noticed the fear in her eyes. She recognized it, perhaps it was the same fear she held during her first bout against that skilled pilot. Still, it wasn't one to be left alone. "Hey, settle down..." She whispered to Elaine. "We're not alone here, it's not like she can do anything by herself..." Or so she hoped from the bottom of her heart. She knew her training in CQC would be vastly eclipsed by Vera's if the reports were to be believed, but she also knew they weren't alone.

[Dandragon]

“Huh?!” Elaine jumped as she heard Aliza whisper, and only calmed herself after several seconds of staring back. Though her words offered little comfort. Yes, Vera was by herself, save for the girl in the hoodie, but Vera alone was enough to take out an entire base full of armed, trained guards. That much had been proven, already. Still, even in Elaine’s state of fear, the sentiment was appreciated. She looked back at the group, then back to Aliza. “I hope you’re right.” Said Elaine, deciding not to tell Aliza what Vera had done on her own, and deciding not to tell Aliza that she was far more fearful of Louise than anybody else. Vera would offer a quick death, if anything. Louise would ruin her before death was even a possibility. “I really do hope, Aliza...”

[Balcerzak]

Thorvald had hopped forward a couple steps following Tarquin's return, hopefully getting himself in good position to follow up on the ball if something further ended up being needed. Unfortunately for the team, however, the human face is far from an ideal surface for bouncing objects off of. Annoying protuberances like noses, cheekbones, eyebrows and so on made for impossible to predict trajectories and bouncing patterns. Thus the first volley ended in somewhat of a disappointment. Already distracted from the hit to her face, Elaine's attention was further absorbed by a callout from their ever-expanding peanut gallery, so the older pilot shrugged a little and went to collect the ball, leaving her to collect her wits instead. Pleased by the good sportsmanship coming from the other side of the net, Thorvald smiled and nodded to the janitor, following a rare instance of intelligible utterances from the man, as he'd tried to keep Tarquin's spirits high, despite the setback. "He's right, we keep at it, we'll get 'em back, easy enough," he added on, stooping slightly as he scooped up the fallen volleyball.

A startled cry of recognition, coming from the other side of the net, arrested his attention, however, and turning to put eyes on, the identification of one of the onlookers as the Vera from Apotheosis that had plagued them badly was a sudden shot of adrenaline. Christina had no reason to lie, and plenty of cause to make the connection, having come from the organization herself. Further, the colorfully haired individual made no move to deny the accusation, shrugging and accepting it instead.

Thankfully, the enemy combatant made no immediate moves toward hostility, but the possibility was ever present, and there were too many of their most vulnerable crew here. Not about to let her mess up the remaining lost boys, further antagonize Elaine, or even start in on Astin or Avery, Thorvald strode deliberately across the sand toward her. Their Russian friend dipped and bailed, hopefully to retrieve Brant or at least raise a wider alarm, a comforting display of competency after her somewhat absent presence thus far. Another small measure of good fortune came from Vera not rising to the bait, thankfully not reacting poorly to the sergeant's provocations regarding the outcome of the last time they clashed swords, but that was tempered by the revelation of an unexpected entanglement, when Makoto spoke up. Where's Dad, a question no-one should have to ask, least of all to a terrorist.

Chill ran through Thorvald's veins as everything finally snapped into place, and he cursed himself for not having connected the dots sooner. He'd had all the pieces, even, and more than enough time to put them together. Vera herself had broadcast back at the colony that she'd taken hostage one Dr. Watanabe. Hannah had immediately identified Makoto, down to surname and even both parents' full names, when encountering him aboard the Riese the first time, confused at the presence of a civilian. And he himself had managed to place the boy as the pilot of the Phalanx masquerading as a peace officer during that fateful engagement, teasing him lightly about it after the fact. Now everything made sense. Why he had been so desperate then, so forlorn when Thorvald had ordered Elaine to stand down, to let Vera leave with her hostage. Why he'd been so distraught that the heroes he idolized couldn't save what needed saving the most.

As a father himself, he was furious. Partly with Vera, of course, be even moreso with himself. He regretted not figuring things out sooner, not being able give Makoto what he needed, not even noticing she was here right now in the first place until it was far too late. And added yet another one to the pile, he was now regretting that he hadn't even managed to make his way over in time to stop her from spewing further poison. Truth or not, hearing what she had to say about Makoto's father couldn't possibly have any positive effect on the boy. But here they were. That's how things had shaken down. The situation sucked, and he wasn't sure just what the best way was to minimize further damage. But he had to do something. For the crew. For himself.

"Look, I really don't know what you want. You say you wanted to join in, play some ball? Fine, I'd be down with that. But not with any of my precious subordinates in the mix." Pressing one hand down on her left shoulder, Thorvald somewhat roughly thrust the volleyball at her right hand, sandwiching it between them. "I'd be willing to go off somewhere, treat you one-on-one until you've had enough and decide to stop being a nuisance for the day--" a glance to the side caught sight of her companion frightening the vendor from before, "Two on one even, tell her to stop threatening that poor girl, would you?" He sighed. "I can't claim to understand your agenda, but if that's what it takes..."

[scorri]

Right, so much for that. "It's alright Avery. Maybe it's best she stays away for now. Let her be happy for now." Giving her hand a reassuring pat, they frowned slightly as Thorvald offered to go away with Vera on their own. "Come on now, Thorvald. It's fine. If all Vera wants is to play volleyball, no need for you to go off with them." Noticing the commotion away at the other group and the lack of wheelchair, they did grin slightly. "I will say though, it looks like her other friend abandoned her already. You would think she'd want to make sure you get away too before she just up and disappeared. Nice loyal companion you have there."

[Xinnidy]

Absolute Annoyance

"That woman is so... ugh." Roxanna didn't need nor care for Louise's comments on her private life, continuing to scowl until Louise had finally made her leave. "A Chaldene... great, I'm going to contact central immediately. Something is very wrong with security. The fact we're still alive is a small miracle." Honestly... Roxanna counted her blessing Apotheosis had their own hard-headed people. "Guess it comes with the whole 'greater purpose' gimmick." Hearing Brant's advice, it made a lot of sense as well. "Yeah... I'm going to take a moment, call central, and report all of that. Unfortunate that it turned this way, but my offers are still up, Firmia."

Dad Trouble

"My father did-- he did not. You're lying." Makoto was frowning now, feeling insulted at the terrorist's story, he was almost putting himself in a fighting stance --ready to defend his father's honor--, but he was severely outmatched by the cyborg killer, and riling up a fight with her would only spell doom for the group. Makoto tried to calm down, taking a deep breath and working his brain through what Vera could possibly mean. Why would she say this about his father? To shake him, even though there were much bigger threats to torment? But it... it couldn't be true. Father was being altruistic, they're trying to twist the truth. Makoto attempted to reassure himself, but searching memories for reasons seemed to throw him a shade of doubt. Apotheosis really tried to use projects similar to his, if the alien machines were also made recently. Stuff that his father kept a secret, no less. They must have had info on him. Or... "...I've gotta take him back. No matter what. Him staying with Apotheosis is just bad for everybody."

Makoto did have one more question in him, looking up at Vera's face. "What do you even want with those aliens, anyways?"

[Nanami Touko]

Do Me a Favor

"Esther, let her do as she pleases. We're just here to talk, not to police them." She didn't really know why the girl was feeling so hostile... And when she glanced over towards Louise, finding no one there, she knew Esther would be getting much more upset at her next topic of discussion. Astin definitely wanted to drive that point home, didn't they? "Louise works on her own whims, but tomorrow will likely be her last day fighting for us. Or at all... She's going to go all out to kill Alphonse. That's her only goal, right now. The man made a choice that crippled her. It was something she knew could happen, as a soldier... She's held it against him since, festering for years. She's been broken that whole time, but... She shouldn't be underestimated in combat. Though... I have a feeling that if she does manage to kill him," Vera started, smirking, almost defeated in expression, "she'll simply stop right there, and let herself be destroyed, no matter the circumstances for us. What a fun wild card, huh?"

Vera shook her head at Thorvald, her window of time had just shrunk considerably. Negotiations must've fallen through if Louise was leaving so early. "No time for ball anymore, Thorvald. I do respect you standing up for your crew, you're an admirable soldier. I meant what I said to Sergeant Doyle, I do truly wish I didn't have to kill any of you... But I'm bound to things much larger than myself. Perhaps in another life. Right now, though..."

No, the boy had more things to say. It made sense that he didn't believe her, Vera shrugging and smirking. "It is what it is, Makoto. Your father's designing plenty of weapons for us... Louise's entire machine was of his mind. And I'll be sporting a new sword, courtesy of him. My apologies, but we'd like to keep him. He's been more than an asset." Makoto wanted to know more than that, though. So, they knew. The Sacarians must've made contact when the Riese ambushed Carlos, then... Unfortunate.

"It's not what we want with them. It's what they want with us. It's funny, they're the reason I have to fight you. That's a story for another time, if we manage to have such a thing, but for now... They want Earth. Simple as that. Why? If you run into them again, feel free to beat one, and get the answer straight from them. But they're much more frightening than I am... So take this one step at a time, if you're sure you'll win. Take down Louise, myself, and Helena, then see if you can stop them from trying all over again."

She sighed. This next part was the hardest. "I have a favor to ask you, Thorvald, but I'll have to be short, since I have to get back to the ship." She took a quick glance at Esther, before steeling herself. "Take her. Keep her on the Riese, keep her at Central, put her in jail, I don't care... Just don't let her fight anymore. She's not a monster like the rest of us, she's only seen combat once. And I... I can't let her become like me. Please." Vera only hoped that he would agree. "You're a father. You have to know what this feels like. I've already ruined one family member's life with this decision... I can't ruin another."

Back of Her Hand

Chris bit her lip harder, trying to calm down again. Brant was helping, but she still has this unshakeable want to bash Louise's face in, her imagination making the moment happen as best as she could concoct. "Th-This is what I meant, when I said I was broken. I'm so angry. That's all I am, just, anger. You're getting to see it first hand, aren't you happy? You're even here, trying to be that pillar you wanted to be, and all I want to do is... Is just... Rrrrhhh..." She started gritting her teeth, trying to hide a growl, starting to cry. "I'm just so mad! I hate it! I want to be anything else, while you're here wasting your time, trying to calm me down... A-And I can't..." Her hand started shaking in his, her whole body following. It wasn't very visible, but it was definitely happening.

Hannah was about to go and warn the other group, but... "They seem to already be engaging Vera, and things seem alright. I can't tell exactly, but... Her stance is unguarded. There seems to be no hostilities going on, or, none from her. I will stay vigilante, in case something happens, but... I have to remain here, for the time being. If their ship decides to fire anything, I am grabbing you and running. I'm not about to let you die." She could probably save Brant as well, but she only had two arms. It felt awful to pick favorites like that, but in such a desperate situation, she'd have to. I can only hope that Louise follows through on her word... This does not feel good.

Edited June 14, 2018 by SnakeMomMelissa

[Dandragon]

She had only taken a few steps from the court, so she could hear just about everything Vera was saying, to Thorvald and to the rest of the group. And...it calmed her. It took away the fear to hear what she said. It made her feel sympathy towards a woman that slaughtered many, more so than from anything Louise had ever said to her over that built in communicator. Vera had enough of a heart to ask them to take in someone. To take them away from Apotheosis, from fighting, from killing. And it made her fear subside in a way that might have concerned her, in another time.

”We can do that.” It took Elaine a full five seconds to realize that she had responded to the lieutenant, even if it hadn’t been directed at her. And now that she had spoken up, she might as well continue. “W-we can definitely do that. I’m...I’m definitely sure the captain would agree to that if we asked.” Why was she even listening to Vera? It was Apotheosis that had declared war against the entire world. It was Apotheosis that had slaughtered many at Corona Ten. And it was a lieutenant of Apotheosis that was blackmailing her and emotionally tearing her apart. Perhaps, once again, it was the difference in tone between the lieutenants. Even if it was just one conversation, the differences between Louise and Vera were abundantly clear. Besides...how many had Elaine murdered during this entire war. How many like Chris? Or Christina and Nikolai? Could she really judge Vera for the blood on her hands when hers were just as dirty? “I’m sure we can ask her. Right, Thorvald?”

[scorri]

Astin frowned, looking between Esther and Vera. "That's asking a lot. Especially since you haven't even made it clear if she wants to come with us. Besides, you've seen how our ship operates. We need ever pilot we get. Even if Elaine is right and the captain agrees to this highly suspicious request, what's to say we won't need another pilot in a week? Clearly the captain has no problem using prisoners for her own pilots." 

Their frown deepened, trying to figure out what her game was. "Unless you're convinced Apotheosis is going to lose... Wouldn't it be safer for you to keep her with you and just not deploy her? Your request doesn't make any sense. What's your real goal?"

Edited June 14, 2018 by scorri

[Phoenix]

Brant saw the message on his comm, but a proper response had to wait. The wrath radiating from Chris surpassed his, easily. Without really thinking about the situation or what he was trying to accomplish, Brant pulled Chris to his chest. "Please don't say things like that. None of this is a waste and you're more than just anger, Chris. They made you just to fight and die for them and they couldn't care less about you or your sisters. You've gotta give yourself more credit ... and more time." Brant understood that there were real mental limitations involved, but also doubted that he wouldn't be enraged far too easily himself if he were put through something like this. Louise really was a monster.

"Thank you, Roxanna," Firmia nodded, glad to know the sudden change in their situation hadn't affected her original investment offer. Hannah's response was understandable ... and appreciated ... but it also meant the others might not learn about the Chaldene. "Urgh. But if you don't warn them about that ship ..." Firmia sighed heavily, "Forget it. Someone just warn them over the comms. I can't concentrate with so many guns aimed at us. Let's change and head outside. And Chris, you need to pull it together. If you want to help Christina, you need to do it right now."

"Wait, just Christina?" Brant asked, wondering if Firmia was actually going to leave the others. He still held Chris close to him, but was trying to stay in the discussion, as well. "You can at least warn Jess so she can gather everyone faster."

"Forget her; she's the next worst thing after Vera and she's makes everything more difficult for us." And likely on purpose, Firmia quietly noted. "Look, they probably aren't going to open fire, but if they do, I can't save anyone, so we have no excuse to keep standing here. If we get killed here, then Apotheosis wins, end of story. Now hurry up and get changed or just go outside." Outside was only slightly safer, since a bombardment could destroy the entire area. They would die for certain if a burning building collapsed on top of them, though. Firmia didn't wait around, and started off toward the changing rooms with her things in hand. She transitioned from a hurried walk, to a jog, and finally, a half dozen meters from the changing rooms, she bolted inside.

Brant realized that this was probably as good an opportunity as any ... "Elaine, it's Brant. Louise is gone, but she and Vera came here on a Chaldene and it's going to blast us off the map if something happens to Vera. Let the others know, just in case." Hopefully she caught all of that. Turning his attention fully back to Chris, he said, "It's your turn to decide what we're going to do ..." The smile accompanying it was a faint but encouraging one.