PLOT: Refined Shell battle!

[theearth]

Who: Open!
What: Crustacean commotion. CRAB BATTLE.
When: 26th September, daytime
Where: Las Vegas, flooded area and surroundings
Warnings: Violence. If your thread requires more warnings, please note them in your comment header!


[ At eleven AM, a pulsing shockwave resonates throughout Las Vegas. Seemingly coming from somewhere deep underground, the ripple of force doesn't last long - but that doesn't mean that it isn't strong enough to make any nearby reincarnates stumble or fall.

The quake that happens soon afterwards is much stronger. Unlike the last, it seems to rumble on and on... until it reaches its crescendo with the emergence of a monstrous pink crabster from beneath the recently-flooded area of the city. A miniature tsunami accompanies the 300-foot behemoth, further damaging the surroundings not already levelled by the flooding and the quakes.

It doesn't take long for Refined Shell to get its bearings and begin its rampage. Everything within range can expect to be swiped at, stamped on or crushed between its pincers in its mindless rage.

You might say it seems to be feeling a touch... crabby. ]


((Helpful links - Refined Shell information! Last minute plotting roll call! Inspirational visual aid!))

Comments

GUNDAM (OPEN)

[buildyourworld]

OOC: There will be threads underneath this!

Phase 1

[buildyourworld]

A
[ He rushed back to the air force base where his Gundam was stationed immediately the moment his boss called and told him about the giant lobster's rampage. The situation at the base was decidedly tensed, with soldiers rushing about preparing to head out for rescue. One of the officers told him the army will not be taking on the monster while he's rushing to his Gundam, his helmet clutched to his side. He grunted his agreement, not feeling very talkative at the moment, knowing that the army wouldn't be able to handle the giant lobster. He took another look at Neil, giving him a nervous nod before getting himself into VIrtue's cockpit.

Once within the Gundam, he took a moment to calm his nerve. Neil was right. If they don't fight, no one else can. If he ran, he'll be leaving behind innocent people to their imminent death. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the control and activated the remaining of the Virtue's system. ]

Tieria Erde, launching. [ It was his line but somehow, it gave him courage that he desperately needed right now.

Virtue flew into the battlefield and with that, Eugen got a good look at the damage done to the area in the giant lobster's way. "Crap, that thing is bigger than it looked in Arthur's report!" Gritting his teeth, he carefully positioned his Gundam out of the flyers' way. The last thing he need was to get caught up in accidental collision with fellow Numbered. With the monster being so huge, he decided it would be fine to use the shoulder cannons. Otherwise, he see no other options in taking the thing down.

Informing Neil of his decision through the Gundam's communication channel, he waited until his path was clear, watching other Numbered trying various attacks on the giant lobster and failing before charging up the cannons. ] I'm going to use the cannons, Neil. Stay out of my path.

[ Opening a communication channel, he rams up the volume to warn others. ]

Get away from the lobster, I'm blasting it!

[ But it will also fail like the rest of the Numbered attacks. Not that he knows yet... ]

-----

B
[ The failed shot almost fried him with his Gundam if he didn't get away in time when it was reflected back to him. He wasted no time in getting the hell away from Refined Shell's attacking range, as he cursed under his breath while calming his skyrocketed heartbeats. As if some celestial force knew he needed more power, he felt the familiar sensation of an echo pulling him into the dreaded feeling of hollow. Brazing it, he gripped harder on the control pad, fighting to keep himself awake while memories of the GN Bazooka overloaded his brain.

Once it subsided, he was glad to see that Virtue was given a brand new armament, the GN Bazooka. Even better was the fact that it was an active armament, unlike previous ones that came deactivated until he regained a new echo.

But since he knew the shot might be reflected, he wasn't too eager to use it, at least not until they figured out how to get through Refined Shell's defense. By the time he returned to the battlefield, he saw several Numbered working on breaking the monster's shell and without further hesitation, he joined the fray, using the giant bazooka to smash the shell.

Except it's a hell lot harder than he imagined. Virtue isn't exactly made for close combat, bludgeoning the giant lobster while avoiding it's counterattack is an experience he's doesn't want to repeat ever after. And if you're nearby cracking some crab, he might not be able to see you, especially if you happen to barge in or fly into his range unannounced.

Is that a giant bazooka coming at your face?! ]

A

[truthcharted]

[It's one thing to see Gundam Virtue in the hangar, looking menacing but not actually active. It's quite another to be standing beneath it at full hue and cry, and Kevin can say with certainty that this thing terrifies him. Still, it's on his side right now.] Take it easy, Eugen, you're going to hurt... someone... oh, shit.

[As the pink light starts to shine, Kevin realizes he's out of his depth, and starts running full-tilt in the opposite direction, really wishing he could move a little faster.]

[buildyourworld]

[ Good thing Virtue's shoulder cannons take a while to charge but it's still a thing that anyone without a death wish should stay away from. ] I'm trying! Just hurry up and get out of there!

[ While Kevin is running away, Refined Shell decides to swipe it's gigantic tail around. Hopefully, Kevin doesn't get caught up in the rampage. ]

[truthcharted]

You don't have to tell me twice- dammit! [Seeing the huge mass coming toward him, easily taller than him despite its proportion to the gargantuan shellfish they're fighting, Kevin's instincts take over and he hits the deck. The tail passes over his head, kicking up a fierce wind but not injuring him. The back-swipe is less harsh, and as it goes by a second time, he pushes himself up and backs off a little further.]

The sooner this is over, the better!

[buildyourworld]

[ Forget charging his cannons for now, there's no way he's going to watch Kevin get smashed by Refined Shell. He steers Virtue into the pink lobster's view, attracting it's attention to give Kevin a smoother escape. As expected, Refined Shell turns its claw at Virtue instead! ]

A

[hotshots]

[There's a part of Neil who wishes he could have been surprised when the reports of the monster waking up came in. He wasn't, not in the slightest bit. So while Eugen is obviously tense as they board their machines, Neil feels oddly... zen, to put it one way. Haro clutched under one arm, he gives Eugen a thumbs up and a grin before being pulled up into the Gundam. Setting his little orange partner in his place, his hands start working through the motions that were now instinctive to him to bring the machine to life. The GN Drive ignites, particles filling the space around them, and-]

Lockon Stratos, ready to shoot down the target!

[The Dynames bursts out across the city. The fact it can fly is certainly something that takes a few moments of getting used to, but only that - he knows this, somehow. He knows how to do this, and so he does.

He keeps high enough for now, readying the Gundam's rifle, giving a dismissive snort to Eugen's warning.]

I think that should be my line. Firing!

[As the Virtue readies its cannon, Neil adjusts the Dynames' rifle, wasting little time in taking a few shots himself.]

[buildyourworld]

[ Somehow, he understands from his memory why Tieria always shouted his attacks. It must be to avoid this sort of silly banters between pilots during battle. Though, unlike him, Eugen certainly doesn't mind it. It takes his mind off of other more disturbing thoughts, like the possibility of getting caught by those seriously badass giant claw the Refined Shell is sporting. ]

The hell it is. You are not the one charging cannons.

[ Still, he's glad that Neil is keeping the gigantic lobster busy. Pink particles gathers on both sides of Virtue as the pair of GN Cannons charge up their firepower, with Eugen diligently keeping the Virtue's in the right path for a well-aimed shot. The moment the control panel lights up in green, he opens the public comm again to warn others. ]

Incoming!

[ He takes the shot, aiming it right at the midsection! ]

[hotshots]

[And as Neil's well-aimed beam strikes its target, it... reflects right off of it, bouncing back the way it came. The Dynames dives out of the way, and Neil just stares at the thing with a deadpan expression.]

Really. Really?

[buildyourworld]

[ Mirroring Neil's reaction with a slight augmentation is Eugen, whose attack shots right back at him. It's a good thing he's high on alert or the Virtue and him would exit the world as the worst joke ever. Which decent Gundam pilot would get himself fried with his own attack? Not even Patrick Colasour ]

What the hell?! [ Immediately checking his radar for Neil because he missed whatever happened to the other pilot when he was occupied with dodging his own attack. GN-002 still on screen, good. Another check on his screens tell him that Dynames is safe, double good. ] We have to think of something else! Our attacks are useless!

A

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[Fil at that time had been more involved in trying to get the civilians in the area away from the giant lobster than anything else. One brief attempt at hacking away at the shell had been enough to show him that he was better off leaving that to people who was actually doing damage.

Like the giant robot named Virtue that was flying straight towards the crab! He'd seen it from a distance during the snake battle but Fil was a lot closer today and it looks even bigger.]

One more minute! There's still people in the area!

A

[buildyourworld]

[ Eugen flies Virtue carefully, keeping it out of Refined Shell's range. He doesn't need to be attacked if he could help it. It's a good thing the giant lobster is pretty much grounded on land. That allows him to steer Virtue out of unnecessary harm. ]

Well, hurry it up! Go to your left and head straight, it's clear that way!

[ Good thing the cannons takes time to charge up. The air surrounding Virtue glows pink as GN Particles charges up the pair of shoulder mounted cannons. ]

A

[moreweaponsthanyou]

[Fil doesn't reply for the moment; he was busy chiving the last gawking onlookers away the area. He doesn't blame them for staring though...giant robots were always a second look.

When the last one was gone he ran up the street indicated to the left and up, the street mercifully mostly clear of debris. This far away, he should still be clear of the Refined Shot but close enough to see what Virtue was going to do next.]

I'm clear! Go ahead!

[buildyourworld]

[ While Fil's busy running to the safe spot, Refined Shell has turned it's attention to the Gundam, trying to hit the giant robot with it's claw. Eugen has never been so glad that Virtue could fly, because otherwise, he will be in a lot more trouble than he did during Wise Snake's attack.

When he heard Fil again, he's double glad that it's not a call for help! Checking his screen to be sure Fil is somewhere safe, he makes sure not to lead the monster to the dwarf. When it's clear that the architect is out of harm's way, without any delay, he guns the GN Drive and pulls away from the pink lobster's reach and begin charging. ]

Stay where you are!

[ Pink particles begin to gather on both the cannons mounted on Virtue's shoulder, giving the giant frame sinister shadows that shouldn't be possible with those ridiculous sparkles. ]

B

[abhero]

[Emil is here to support the lobster smashing squad. He's playing a battle anthem that will bolster and increase the abilities of anyone within hearing range, making the attacks on the shell more powerful. He's been waiting to regain this ability for months now, ever since he remembered his past self had it, and he's very pleased to finally be able to put it to good use.

The downside is that he has to get close to the crab, so the violin will be heard over the running and crushing and yelling. Avoiding the monster while playing takes every bit of his concentration, which is why Emil doesn't notice the incoming bazooka until it's a second too late. All he can do is scream.]

Wait no PUT THAT AWAY--

[buildyourworld]

Huh--?! [ TOO LATE!!! By the time Eugen heard the voice, the hit has already connected (completely missing his aim) and all the pilot could see is the shadow of something being send flying from the force of impact. ] Fuck!

[ He doesn't even recognize the voice due to how sudden it was. Rushing forward to somehow try and stop the crash, he's instead stopped by the backlash of the landing. The force of the landing itself is hard enough to crack the shell. Eugen, like any normal person, lets out a stream of expletive from the shock of witnessing the effect of his mistake. ] Oh crap! Hey!!! HEY! Are you okay?!

[ No, of course whoever it is is not okay. No one will be okay taking that kind of hit! Eugen is mentally cursing himself and trying very hard not to panic in the middle of the battlefield. ]

[abhero]

[Snakes, pianos, angry mobs, evil spring riders... Emil had been hit by many things ever since he became Numbered. He is an expert on getting knocked around.

Still, nothing of those has quite prepared him for a bitchslap from a giant, bazooka wielding robot. It slams against, well, all of him, and sends him flying into the shell, of which he immediately ricochets off. Eventually he falls a few yards away, bouncing a couple of times before coming to a stop.

Emil is lying in the middle of the road, alive but too dazed to respond. He can't think, he doesn't even notice he's right in the crab's way. All he's aware of right now is pain.]

[buildyourworld]

[ The only time Eugen had hit someone with the Gundam was right when he first received it because Cat was in the way when he tried to move the Gundam. Still, that small punt broke his arm.

This one?

He doesn't have enough money to pay for a funeral!

Eugen steer Virtue to the person he hit, only to realized it was Emil. He was about to try waking him when his cockpit blare red at the approaching danger. Panic setting in again, it's a miracle that somehow his body moves first before he could fully comprehend the situation. Instead of shielding Emil, he slams the bazooka right at the forefront of the giant lobster, sending it skittering back in shock. Definitely works better than what Eugen has in mind and it's time like this that he wonders just what sort of life Tieria led to develop such response. ]

EMIL! EMIL! CAN YOU HEAR ME? ARE YOU ALIVE?!

[ Doesn't he has super healing or something?! He couldn't remember his power in the middle of a panic but he hopes to every omniscient presence that it's super healing. ]

B

[onecream_fivesugar]

[Robyn had been doing the best she could to crack the shell, the sniper rifle on her scythe was surprisingly effective, but it was incredibly hard to line up a shot with the big blade on this thing getting in the way and making it hard to aim upwards toward the shell, she needed to get up higher and she needed to it fast.

It was around then that she caught sight of Virtue going toe to toe with the crabster. Her eyes went wide with delight, that had to be the coolest thing she had ever seen. She makes a dash toward the Gundam but has to stop and run the other way as it's foot touched down on the ground and she didn't want to be under it when it took a step.

She set the scythe down and started to jump up and down, waving her arms as she did so.]

Oh! Oh! Mister Giant Robot~! Can I get a lift!?

[buildyourworld]

[ He thought he caught sight of movement of the side when he landed. One look at the corresponding screen was enough to tell him there was indeed movement and fuck his life, Melissa will kill him if he accidentally stepped on Robyn. Groaning in frustration, he open the communication channel to warn the girl to not to get too close. ] Robyn, please don't run into my range when I'm land-- [ Yeah, no, no conversation in the middle of battle because Refined Shell decided that was the right timing to try kicking Virtue with one of it's leg.

Calling up the GN Field, Eugen easily block it before smashing the bazooka at the offensive leg, sending it back several feet. Adjusting the Gundam so it would be blocking Robyn from the monster, he open the communication channel again, the GN Field still holding up in case the monster decided to attack again. When he saw the weapon she was holding, it clicked in his mind why she was still around. He had seen it from the air although he hadn't noticed it was Robyn then.

Which cut the lecturing to nil because they don't have time for it now. ] You want a lift? To where?

[onecream_fivesugar]

Eugen, you're the giant robot!?

[This might have been a bad idea, Robyn's just going to run behind the Gundam while still trying to get keep a good distance from it because she does not want to get crushed today. That would be terrible. In fact all of this was pretty terrible, she had no idea why she was still here. Her dad and aunt were going to kill her when they found out about this.]

Uhm! Just to the top of a building! Th-there's a big scythe blade on the end of my gun and it makes aiming it kind of awkward! I want to get level with the shell!

Phase 2

[buildyourworld]

A
[ After working hard on destroying one shell, Eugen retreated back to the sky, putting some distance between Virtue and the Refined Shell's claw for some much needed rest. Being in close proximity with the giant lobster was exhausting mentally, as he needed to work on breaking the shell and avoiding attacks. Thankfully, he was piloting a freaking tank but even so, he avoided as many hits as possible (and when not possible, the GN Field negates some of them), not eager to test out his Gundam's breaking point.

For now, he'll let the magical force take charge of the battle, as most of them had been waiting to get a piece of Refined Shell while they were working on rendering the monster's magical defense useless.

Flying close by, he helped whoever needed back up and scanned the nearby area in case anyone needed help. ]

Hey, are you okay?

-------

B
[ By now, Virtue's power gauge recharged enough for him to start assaulting Refined Shell. His only problem is, he needs time to charge it. For fear of catching too much area in his shot and not knowing how high the echo boundaries cover, he closes the gap between Virtue and the monster. Unfortunately, the Refined Shell noticed the giant robot and started swiping at it with it's giant claw and tail, making it impossible to charge or aim. He avoided those attacks and tried to keep some distance but the pink lobster was adamant in getting him.

Desperately in need of help, he started the charge of the GN Bazooka while calling out for help. ]

Someone keep it distracted!

B

[icy_heavens]

[Finally, some of that damn shell has broken off. Toushirou can do something useful now. His head jerks up at the order, and he sees the monster's tail whip around to try and strike at the mech. Nope, not happening.

[A swipe of his blade, and he sends a dragon of ice careening down onto an exposed portion of the tail. The force is enough to knock it off its trajectory and freeze the impact site.

[It's also enough for the crab to decide that the little kid with the ice wings is a more pressing problem than the mech right now. He braces himself for an incoming attack; when it comes, he'll be ready to move.]

B

[buildyourworld]

[ He's thankful for the help and concentrates on keeping Virtue steady as GN Bazooka charges up. Still, he couldn't help but feels disgusted at the fact that everything that's going on is forcing children into the battle field. Children who should be in school learning skills and absorbing knowledge. But instead they are here, risking their life against giant monster. Just how fucked up will their life continue to be?

When the monster starts attacking Toushirou, his grips on the control pads tighten with worry. ]

Be careful!

[icy_heavens]

[And if you ask Toushirou, he'll say that he's not being forced to do anything. All of his involvement, everything he's done as one of the Numbered, is because he's chosen to take action. Even when he'd had nothing but a minor frost power and the network had been in its infancy. He could have stayed back then; people had wanted him to. He could theoretically stay back now; there are plenty of capable fighters here.

[He's here because he wants to be.

[It's a claw that comes after him this time, faster than he'd been anticipating. His go-to dodging technique is instinctive by now, even if he's not sure how well it works in the air. He vanishes from sight for an instant, reappearing a good ten feet higher in the sky. Yep, shunpo still works fine up here, it seems.] How long is that gonna take?