"Just get out of there. I'll keep him busy." It occured to you that the Aestevalis Batta did not actually have a gender, but that didn't really matter to you. After all, it was in the way, and needed to go.
"You'll struggle to control the fangs, you know."
"Then you do it." You spat, as you guided the Exia forward. "Time to get to it." Shoving your hands forward, the thrusters erupted in full force, taking the Exia straight off the ground. It was a magical feeling, lifting off the ground, even if it rocketed you back into your chair. You could only hack this thing apart with one arm. That'd have to be enough.
"... Right. Deploying fangs."
The cape on the Exia's right side billowed as three glowing green blades shot out from beneath it, moving almost faster than you could see. They were definitely faster than the Slash Rippers. You had to wonder if they were particularly more deadly. They were more like flying knives than anything.
*SKRNNNNNNNG*
Your attention immediately returned to the battlefield. One beam shot at you. Then another, and another. You weaved and bobbed, skidding and dancing along the ground, but sooner or later one was going to hit you.
"Tell me we have a shield."
"Block it with the cape. The Anti-Beam Coating is really old, but it should still work."
And work it did, you realised as you caught a beam on the cape covering the Exia's right side. It worked incredibly well, actually.
"How many times can it do that?"
"If you asked us two hundred years ago we'd have said for days. Now, probably a lot less."
"Well. Crap." You shot forward, tachi swinging like an axe at the Aestevalis's head, but it danced backwards as fast as you danced forwards, bouncing and bobbing up and down like a jack-in-the-box as it bounced over the Fangs as they swept past. "How? Nothing can move like that!"
"We can. Presuming your health is not important."
"What?"
You suddenly jerked around as the Exia flipped upside down, tachi swinging incredibly low to the ground, though from your perspective it was quite high. You could hear the crunch of metal as the world went black and white, and then you blinked.
"That is why you are in control." You blinked again. The battle was still going. You were sure of it. You could see the Aestevalis, quickly returning to color. Its left leg was gone.
It clicked almost immediately what happened.
"The Exia can move that fast?"
"Faster. But we would have snapped your spine doing it. You are not sufficiently secure."
It was a truly terrifying thought. You hadn't felt the effects of G-Force blackout since the days you were going for your Mobile Worker licence. That the Exia could essentially and casually induce them highlighted just how handicapped you were making your own weapon.
You licked your lip, breathing in deep and shuffling in your seat. Feeling was returning to your limbs. You could do this. You knew you could.
*SKRNNNNNNNG*
Another two beams from the Battas. You pulled the Exia's left leg back, ducking under the first beam and catching the second on your cape. The tufts and frays along its edge had ignited for a brief moment. You had a feeling there were only a few more blocks in it.
Your right eye closed. You lined up the blade of your GN Tachi. You stabbed forward.
The Aestevalis shot forward, straight past the blade. Then it rocketed upwards, steel grinding and ripping as a Fang clipped its side. It couldn't really attack. The Battas could, but the Aestevalis itself was not maneuverable enough to attack the Exia.
*BZZZZZT*
"Right. Time to rock and roll." The gruff voice over the radio told you all you needed to know. "Kid! Move! I'm firing the Split Missiles!"
"The what!?"
"Oh. Wow."
The decision to move was wrenched out of your hands. The Exia lurched into the air straight up. You were sure Sakura had made the decision, and a mere moment later, as a hailstorm of missiles flew through where you had been only a moment before, you were glad it had.
*SKRNNNNNG*
*SKRNNNNNG*
*SKRNNNNNG*
The Aestevalis' response was to shoot down the missiles, blasting them apart. The explosion ignited everywhere you could see. The world felt incredibly hot.
You shot forth. The Aestevalis was not harmed. You were sure of it. The only advantage an AI had over a person was its response time and accuracy. The right side of the Exia was on fire.
"We have enough juice for one shot. Make it count."
"Trans-AM Activated."
You shot forth. The world turned different shades of pink and then black and white again. You were moving far too fast.
You swung. If you bisected the Aestevalis, it'd be over.
"Trans-AM Safety Engaged."
The Aestevalis shot up and to the right. You'd missed.
"Shit."
"Awesome work, kid! You're all mine now!
CHESTOOOOOOOO!"
You weren't sure what, exactly, you were looking at. One moment, the Aestevalis was moving up. The next, the Gespenst's foot had smashed into its central block, sending both hurtling to the ground like a shooting star. The Gespenst's throttle opened to maximum, grinding the Aestevalis more and more into the ground as they skidded along. Crunch's mech raised the machine gun, cleared the line, and then aimed down. "Get bent! Get bent! Get bent!"
The song of a screeching machine gun was music to your ears. Joints and fuel lines erupted as they skidded past, until finally, the movement stopped. All you could see was fire.
Then a black shadow, as the Gespenst strode out.
"Got 'em." Crunch panted. You could hear his voice straining.
"Are you okay?"
"The Gespenst's shock absorbers weren't made for that kinda action. Gonna have to tell the eggheads back on Aidoneus to pump them up," He admitted. "You okay? I'm sure you blacked out there."
"I did." You admitted. "I don't have a pilot suit."
"Something we will have to rect- look out!" Sakura's voice rang out explosively in your ears.
*SKRNNNNNG*
"Shit!" The Gespenst barely moved in time. You would not. You couldn't dodge that. The cape was gone. You were going to-
"Trans-AM Safety Disengaged. Activating."
You blinked. The world turned pink. You were already moving, skidding around the beam. You could see great green wings of light erupting behind you.
"Burst Mode Engaged."
"Die."
You shot into the inferno. You felt something rumble as your left arm plunged forth. Sakura lifted the Exia's left arm, and with it, you could feel the entire Aestevalis lift up. Four Battas moved on its corpse. You were sure they were taking ai-
*BSLLLLT*
A giant crystal erupted from the body of the Aestavalis. It caught a Batta as it ripped through the right shoulder.
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
A second and third crystal erupted.
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT**BSLLLLT**BSLLLLT**BSLLLLT**BSLLLLT**BSLLLLT*
*BSLLLLT*
The final crystal ripped the Aestevalis' head free. In the end, the Aestavalis and the Batta were a simple mess of crystals, dark liquid you knew was fuel, and… red.
"... It isn't very good." Sakura muttered.
"But it's enough."
"F-for what?" You asked hesitantly.
"For what, what?" Crunch asked. Right, he couldn't hear Sakura.
"This." The crystals exploded away into little shards, the rotten and stripped husk of metal and frame that had once been a complete Aestevalis falling to the ground. The left arm of the Exia was now more armoured, and a great… something was folded along its side. It looked almost like a sword, shield and gun all in one.
"Huh…" You glanced to your left. The console said it was a 'GN Sword'. It had two modes. Sword mode and rifle mode. "Couldn't have made an arm, huh?"
"That would lower the performance of the Exia by 42%. We would be better off without."
"How?"
"The Aestevalis doesn't have the material to make proper E-Carbon or a GN Condenser. The GN Sword we made from it is already of fairly low quality, relatively speaking. We must insist in Trans-AM you do not use it. It will fall apart." You glanced to the right. Trans-AM wasn't even available. It was in something called rest mode.
"How long will that last?"
"We used Burst mode for twelve seconds. It will take twelve minutes for the GN Drive to disengage operational safety. Until then, you won't be able to use the beam saber."
"I have a beam saber!?"
"You do?" Crunch's words brought you back to reality. Right. "Still discovering features, huh?"
"It is a very complicated machine." You sniff. "How are you holding up?"
"Annoyed. The Split Missiles should have worked." Crunch retorted. "You sure you don't want to bolt? You've been a great help, but-"
"Even if you ran, where would you go?"
"I don't have anywhere to go." You mutter. "Where to next? There were still people fighting at the camp."
"There probably aren't many left." Crunch muttered. "Do you need a moment? Feeling okay?"
"I'm fine." You glance to the right. The Fangs had returned to the Exia's side. You flicked the GN Tachi in a quick circle, before returning it to the Exia's side. "Pity about the cape though."
"What did it do?"
"Well, it blocked beams." You muttered. "Ah well. Let's do this."
Guiding the Exia out of the Mountain Cycle wasn't difficult. You could see the blasted wasteland that was once the canyon that the camp had existed in. You were sure that if you'd stayed behind, you'd definitely be dead.
The ground was littered with scorch marks and gouged machines, ripped apart. Mobile workers missing their cockpits. Cars and trucks missing their drivers' seats. The Battas had been merciless.
"Cocky son of a- AAAAH!" A scream rang out over the radio. You could hear the sound of a demolition charge exploding. You could see nothing but horror.
The Heavygun that had been wielding the great pillar from the Galba IV was standing over what was certainly once a mobile worker. Atop its backpack was a Batta. Its visor glowed red as it looked up, lifted a demo-charge from its side, and affixed it to the tip of its spear.
"That doesn't look good." Crunch grumbled. "Shit. Two more bogeys, to the right. They're Heavyguns."
"There are still five of the bugs buzzing around too." You blinked. Another Heavygun leaped from atop the canyon wall. The thrusters on its back and left leg ignited to soften the landing, the two on its right concerningly silent. "Good to see survivors. From the mountain cycle?"
"Aye." Crunch declared. "The machine's from inside. How long until reinf-"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off entirely. You heard the sound of roaring fire, and a plume of destruction rose in the distance. A quick look at the compass confirmed the direction. Chryse.
"What the hell is-"
"Damn lizards." Crunch spat. "We need to mop up. We gotta get back to the city."
"We will… save you the details. There is an SOS call coming from what appears to be a city." Sakura noted.
"Casualties are already severe."
You glanced to your right. Two minutes.
You licked your lips.
"Who takes point?"
Votes are by plan.
[ ] Rain will.
[ ] Crunch will.
[ ] The Heavygun will.
You…
[ ] Harass the enemy with the GN Sword and your superior mobility.
[ ] Get up close and personal with the GN Tachi.
[ ] Let Sakura take the lead.
COMBAT STATUS
-
Rain (Sakura Flag)
-
Rain: Neutral
Unit Integrity: Compromised
Ammo
-GN Sword (1/1)
–GN Sword | Rifle Mode (20/20)
-GN Fang (3/3) (Undeployed)
-GN Tachi (1/1)
-GN Beam Saber (1/1)
Conditions
-GN Condenser Low (Risk of performance drop)
-Trans-AM Safety Mode Engaged (2 Minutes)
-Right arm missing
-GN Shield missing
-GN Condenser 4 missing
-Armour condition minimal
-ELS Integrated
-
Crunch (Gespenst Test Type)
-
Crunch: Neutral
Unit Integrity: Good
Ammo
-Machine Gun (Running low)
-Plasma Cutters (2/2)
-Split Missiles (1/2)
-Slash Rippers (4/6) (4 Undeployed)
Conditions
-None
-
Unknown (Heavygun Excavator Type)
-
Unknown: Neutral
Unit Integrity: Compromised
Ammo
-Beam saber (1/1)
-Demolition charges (7/8)
Conditions
-Two thrusters disabled (Movement imbalanced, Decreased maneuverability)
