Well. It was your fault that the Angel was going to be attached to Team GEAR, so you might as well find the poor person and get to know them. As the overall team leader, it was your responsibility to make sure that they were adequately situated.
And to bring them back alive.
So, in the interests of team unity, it was time to find your new teammate. Which turned out a lot harder then it sounded like.
For one, you had no clue who exactly you were looking for. While Angels tended to look a lot like super-sized Humans, you were short enough that they mostly all looked the same from where you stood. Add in the fact there were now thirty six angels total moving onto the base, including their commander Yama, trying to pin down a single individual out of those thirty six would be hard.
So, instead you do the easy thing. You scurry off to the Command Tent and ask who Flight Leader Yama had assigned to your team. Once you had that information, as well as where they most likely would be, you run off to hunt the down.
Once you do meet them, you initially believe you had the wrong person. This is pretty reasonable for a single, simple fact: the two of you run clean into each other, knocking the other off their feet and onto their butts. The stuff that the angel had been carrying is sent tumbling to the ground, and almost buries the both of you.
Recovering from the sudden daze, you clamber to your feet, babbling out an apology. At the same time the angel tries to babble out her own apology. Yes.
Her.
The Angel is easily nine feet tall, short for her kind, with long blonde hair. Her eyes are a pale green, and her clothes a rusted red clad in silver armor. She is lithe, a runner's build you recognize, but still bulkier than you.
For a moment you simply stare at her. As you watch, she continues to babble out apologies as she scrambles to collect what she had dropped. Once her belongings were gathered, she almost visibly has a near-panic attack when she realizes she had forgotten to check to see if you were ok, leading to a whirlwind check to make sure
you were alright, and then she was gone in less then an eye blink.
Five minutes later, your brain finally reboots, and you chase after her.
It takes barely two more minutes to find her again, this time near the edge of the 'barracks zone' of the base's tent city trying to find help from the busy soldiers streaming from place to place.
"Umm, you! Yeah, I was hoping for some directions! ... Yeah, I'm trying to find... uh... Oh no, I forgot their names! Team... Core? No... Gore? No... umm... No! Wait! Don't leave yet! I'll never find where I'm supposed to go without... help... oh phooey."
The soldier she had tried to get directions from vanishes around a corner, leaving the poor angel to fend for herself. Grimacing in panic you watch as she pokes the tips of her fingers together, while desperately looking around for what you could only assume to be some kind of reminder to help jog her memory.
The image is almost cute.
Giggling to your self, you carefully work your way through the stream of traffic to stand beside the now dejected angel as she hangs her head in despair. Once within arm's reach you tap her shoulder, bending over slightly to try and draw her attention to yourself. "You ok?"
"Gah!" Apparently she was so deep in thought, that she hadn't noticed you coming up. The surprise leads to her, again, falling over with a squeal and thump. You try, really you do, not to laugh. Sadly though, you only partially succeed and spout snorting giggles as you clamp a hand over your mouth.
Definitely cute.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to spook you." It takes a moment, but you manage to repress the snorting. The angel pouts up at you, but the laughter in her own eyes is visible. "I saw you standing around, and I thought you might need the help."
Her face lights up with a brilliant smile and she lunges into a hug, wrapping her arms around your waist. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thankyouthankyou!!!!" You give an embarrassed grin, and push lightly against her head, hoping to dislodge her without dealing physical harm. After a moment though, you give it up for a lost cause.
"So who are you trying to find? Maybe I can help?"
"Oh!" She jumps to her feet (actually jumps) and turns to you. "I was actually assigned by Lord Yama to a solider exchange between our people. He wanted me and a few others to get a bit of field experience fighting alongside Human Magical Girls!" You try not to twitch at the reminder of your outburst. "Sadly though, only one Magical Girl Support team is actually on the base, so I'm the only one that got to be assigned." Once she finishes, you feel horror begin to dawn on you.
This was the angel that had been assigned to your team.
"Nice to meet you! My name is Gabriel! I'm trying to find Magical Girl Solid Core and her Team so I can report in!"
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
"I'm sorry! If I knew who you were I would have apologized sooner then I did, but I was in a panic and didn't think I had the time to apologize properly, and didn't want to keep you waiting, but I wasn't sure what you looked like, and was only given vague directions to where I could find you..."
Holy crap Gabriel could ramble. The girl had apologized to you more than five times in the last three minutes in five different fashions, and four different languages. Only two of which you actually recognized.
"Umm..."
"Yes?" She squeaks and spins to face you, clasping her hands beneath her chin. Almost as if she expected you to flay her alive with your eyes.
"Uhmm... It's ok you know? I'm not holding anything against you. Honestly, they didn't tell me who exactly they were assigning to my team in the first place..." She visibly deflates at that. But the flash of fear in her eyes doesn't. Which begs the question... "Why are you so afraid of me anyway?"
The flinch is very obvious this time. And from the look on her face, she looks like she really wanted to implode right at that moment. "Afraid? Why would I be afraid? I mean, I'm only going to be following around one of Humanity's very own murder machines right into the heart of the Forces of Darkness... oh Father I cannot shut up." Whelp. That sorta explained why she kept on babbling. Nerves could do that to even a regular human.
"It's ok. I think it's perfectly reasonable to be scared of something you don't personally know. And besides, considering that you're only with us to get some battle experience, I doubt they'll send us on any big missions for a while." That's if your luck doesn't decide to play possum again. And considering how it's been you were pretty sure even if they sent you on something small, it would spin
way out of control.
Best not to think too hard about that.
"Anyway, if it helps any, we can go meet the rest of my team if you want. Help you get settled in?" She smiles at you in obvious relief, and nods. "Then lets get you to the tent and settled in."
And with that, you pick up some of the small pile of things that she had left sitting on the side of the walkway between tents, letting her carry the rest of it. From there, you carefully guide your new angel through the winding paths to the tent you shared with Rei.
As you grew closer though, the sounds of metal ringing against metal echo through the air in a steady pace. Curious, you pick up your pace slightly, almost dragging Gabriel after you from your desire to satiate your curiosity. Once at the tent though, you are still surprised at what you find. Out front of the tent, Michael and James carefully clash with their newly gained swords.
"I thought you guys were going to bring this to the training grounds?"
Your voice interrupts their 'training' match rather easily, both men lowering their swords and turning to you and Gabriel as the two of you walk up. The angel watching the proceeding with interest.
"That was the idea. But it turns out that Judgement Core and her sister decided to appropriate the training grounds. They're holding a standing challenge to the Magical Girls on base to see if anyone can beat them. Non-lethal combat of course. So far both Carnage and Truth got their butts kicked. Rei isn't interested, and Blue Sky said she'll go last. So, while that's going on me and Mike are practicing our less than proficient swordplay over here while Samael does his thing in the back."
And since White Knight was currently off recovering that left... you.
"Umm... I'm not sure if I'll be able to stack up. Do you think I should try?"
"Definitely. We can help our new angel friend here get acquainted with her new living arrangements while your off getting the snot beat out of you."
You glare at him as he grins unrepentantly.
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
"You know. The morning is moving by pretty quickly for some reason."
"Maybe the author is blanking on some of the update?"
"Watch the Wall girls." You and Carnage both blink and turn to Truth in eerie synchronicity. She merely raises an eyebrow at you in challenge. "So, what does the flashlight want?"
"Now that's just mean." You pout at the older girl, "I came to see about accepting Judgement Core's challenge. I wanna see how far I've come since I started."
Both Truth and Carnage nod at that. It was a pretty reasonable thing to do amongst Magical Girls, and an open spar like this was a great time to measure yourself in friendly competition. "Come on, I'll show you to where they're waiting."
It's not far from where you found the duo. Slightly inside the leveled training grounds, groups of off-duty soldiers have gathered to watch the bouts. Some had brought along folding chairs, others refreshments of various kinds. One even had a full amateur camera set unfolded and recording.
And in front of them, inside a large semi-circle they had made, was none other than Judgement Core. The girl was dancing with several more soldiers to a
techno-theme you didn't really recognize.
"Come on, that all you got? Put some more feeling into it!" Some of the soldiers with her try to take up the challenge. Dancing with even more vigor than before, while others stumble out of line, laughing.
As you approach though, JC notices you, a wild smirk crawling its way across her face. "Lookie here everyone! It seem we have a new challenger!" She doesn't stop dancing until the music dies, and as you walk up, a new song comes from the radio curtesy of
Truth and Carnage.
"I came to try your challenge. I'm pretty sure I won't win, but I want to try anyway! To see how far I've come!"
On the edge of your sight, you see Team GEAR with their new addition join the crowd as it begins to ramp up in interest.
"Alright. But just because you're a newbie doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy on you, ya hear?"
"Understood! Give it everything you've got!"
The wild smirk turns brutal, "Alright! You asked for it!" And then she pulls out a cannon that is hilarious in size. Almost three times larger than she is, the gun's barrel looks large enough to fit your entire head. "If you think you have what it takes to step up, then lets go!"
You nod in determination. Then in one fluid movement, you duck low, transform in a flash of light, and push off the ground, all in less than a second.
Judgement Core's eyes widen in surprise as you close the distance between the two of you in moments. The ground you started on shatters from the force of your takeoff, and the fifteen yards mean nothing.
"Hhhyyyyaaaaa!"
(Panzer Blade: 757 Base Damage, +88 Dice, +10 Surprise, +378 Ramming Speed, -308 Barely Competent = 925 Total Damage
Judgement Core: 305 Base Resilience, +131 Dice, -244 Flat Footed, -50 Rushed = 142 Damage Reduction
Armored Core Check: 195 Damage Reduction
588Total End Damage
Judgement Core Health: 550 - 588 = -38 Health Remaining)
She's faster than you. She's stronger than you. She has more experience than you.
But these are things you are intimately acquainted with. And because of that: there is nothing she can do as the Panzer Blade slips through her defenses like a bolt of lightning.
You blink. Judgement Core Blinks. Everyone else present blinks. The music skips and cuts out.
Then Judgement Core empties the contents of her stomach all over you and passes out.
"Holy shit... that's our Team's Magical Girl?"
"Oops?"
"Yup. Badass, isn't she?"
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
You stand right outside the medical tent with the rest of Team GEAR and several dozen more rather mortified soldiers as you all wait to see if Judgement Core was alright from your attack. The fact you had actually put her down in that one blow was
shocking.
The fact a black-haired girl was standing right across from you looking like she wanted nothing more than to simply rip you to pieces wasn't helping much either.
She was obviously Judgement Core's older sister, and just as obviously very protective of her. You swallow loudly. She twitches.
JC stumbles from the medical tent with a downcast expression and break the tension. "Judgement!" Ignoring her sister's annoyance with you, you duck beneath everyone and rush to her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard! I didn't even think I
could hit that hard! Please forgive me..."
She simply glares up at you. "That was a cheap shot. I want a rematch!" Suddenly though, her stomach spasms and she doubles over again, "But tomorrow... I don't think I'll be able to fight with my stomach like this for the rest of the day..."
"Alright. I'll definitely be there!"
And with that Judgement Core leaves with her sister, holding her stomach and leaning heavily. As soon as they are out of sight, the other soldiers leave as well, leaving you and Team GEAR standing alone outside the tent.
"Well. Cookies anyone?" Gabriel's question break the silence.
"Sure."
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
Immediately there after, Team GEAR is in their tent munching down on a small collection of cookies that Gabriel had apparently brought with her form Heaven. They remind you heavily of the cookies that Sega would cook for you whenever you passed a test in school.
A school that was gone. A class that was dead. A sister that was gone.
You quickly find yourself curled up against James as you nibble away on the cookies Gabriel had given you. Your melancholy does not go unnoticed by the angel. "Umm... are you alright Anastasia? Is there something wrong with the cookies?"
Drawn out of your thoughts, you blink. After a moment to recover the question she asked, you quickly shake your head, "No, nothing like that! It's just... They remind me of my favorite cookies. The ones my sister would always make..." The human elements of team GEAR hare a look, but it passes over Gabriel's head as she beams at you.
"Oh! That's because of the magic inherent in them! A tiny little spell I wove in, so that they'll taste like your favorite cookies! Otherwise they'll be blander than cardboard, since Heaven's ingredients don't hold a candle to Human foods. Never mind Elvin foods. So we kind of... cheat a little."
You smile softly at that. "Not very, 'always righteous' are you?" She grins back.
"Hardly. We angels are created from belief. This causes us to take on flaws from the races that participated in our creation. For example, I take extra pride in my magical cooking. The old Gabriel had an obsession with mystery novels. So on."
"Huh. That's not something I ever thought about." You agree with Michael's sentiment. For a long time, you had always imagined Angels as being these shining examples of perfection floating above everyone else as examples of what to strive for. This explained all the religious outcries though.
"What do you mean, 'the old Gabriel'? It's a bit weird in terminology. For humans anyway."
"Well... that because we Angels are born fully formed. And because of that, we're born knowing our names. There are never two angels with the same name, so when a new Angel is born with the name of an older Angel that had died... we're considered the inheritors of everything they left behind. So... I have some big shoes to fill." You once again find yourself staring at Gabriel. Big shoes? That didn't even begin to cover it!
Gabriel had been-
Your thoughts are cut off by a knocking at the entrance to the tent. "Team GEAR. The Base Commander requests your presence at the Command Tent." You hear the messenger walk away as soon as the message is delivered.
You stand up, "Cuddle time over. Lets find out what his Lord Commandy-ness wants."
Gabriel chokes on her last cookie but follows.
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
The command tent is filled with more people than last time. Carnage, Truth, Ada, Rei, Judgement Core's sister, you, and Team GEAR with it's newest addition were all crammed inside. You hold the opinion that you needed a bigger command tent for the base.
"Alright. I'll be short with this. We have reason to believe that a research facility in Boston is going to be attacked. We're not sure who is going to attack it, but it's going to happen today apparently. High Command didn't give me any details, so I'm going to assume this is a low-priority mission. The only reason we're responding to it, is because it's in our area: otherwise I'd let a smaller base handle it. Now, I don't really care who goes on this mission, so I'll leave it up to all of you. The only restrictions are this: Team GEAR goes regardless. Solid Core needs the combat experience, and this is small enough that I don't have a doubt it'll be quick and easy. Goddess Gold has to stay here though."
Rei's eyes rotate and spear the Commander with a look as soon as those words left his mouth. Visibly holding herself back from violence, the powerful Magical Girl growls out, "And... why should I follow that order... Commander?"
Your not sure how, but the Commander doesn't flinch under her gaze. "Because this is too small to waste sending you on. The Overwatch Network is still being repaired of the damage it took during the last attack, so we need you on standby in the most convenient location we can have you. Which is right here at the base. So you get to stay here." For a moment, Rei's fury is almost palatable. And you believe she would actually strike the Commander, despite his reasonable argument. Then the moment is past, and she stalks from the tent in a fury.
"Nepgear, once you're done in here, meet me outside." And then she's out the door.
"Well. I'm not going anywhere while my sis is recovering. So I'm out." JC's sister exits on Rei's heels.
"This is a fine mess..." Carnage frowns in annoyance. "I say we let Nepgear decide who goes with, since she'll be stuck with whoever we choose. Can't bring everyone... so two of us? That should keep her out of trouble."
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Everyone just
looks at you. You pout.
-Sudden mission! Pick who you want to come with! (One or Two)-
[]Carnage
[]Truth
[]Blue Sky
+10xp Team GEAR Cookie cuddles
+5xp Met a Gabriel
+5xp Equipped a Gabriel
+100xp Beat the shit out of Judgement Core
+200xp Sniped Da Core
320 EXP Gained: 651 EXP Total
(Profile Unlocked! Gabriel (Level 3)
Gabriel has Joined Team GEAR!
Ability Unlocked!
The Insurmountable Gap!)
