Richard braced in anticipation of a big boom, then nearly shrank in disappointment when there wasn't one.

It hadn't been a bomb.

Was was even the point then?

He fell back down through the sky. As he neared the ground he boosted to break his fall again, then found himself caught between on of the Zaku's big old hands. He looked up at it, for all the world looking like a childrens toy being held under the arms by the bigger robot. Then he was gently set on the ground.

"Better on your ankles sir." Ovid said helpfully. Richard could hear the dopey looking smile on his face, but he had to admit the boy had a point. It wouldn't do him any good to damage his machine anymore in a fall.

Still, it bugged him that there hadn't been a big explosion. The sight of a some kind of big truck tear-assing through the battlefield made up for it a little, but not by much. Maybe he hadn't hit it in the right spot? Where he came from when you shot something explosive it exploded but that wasn't true in other, apparently lamer, worlds. Maybe if he hit [i]it[/i] with an explosive?

"She's pissed." Grand's monotone cut through Richards thought like a red hot knife, as if he'd known what the man was thinking. He looked up to see the Grand's Zaku staring looking off in the direction of the shot. Richard couldn't see anything, but he knew better than to doubt the man. "Sixth sense acting up?" He asked. Grand didn't answer. "She coming this way?"

Grand took a couple of seconds. "She's coming toward her men."

"You're talking about their commander, huh? Kill her with mind bullets!" 

"It doesn't work that way."

"You don't practice enough."

"Should we move in to engage, sir?" Ovid interrupted.

Then it was Richards turn to think. "Naaaaah." he concluded. "If she's pissed that means whatever it was I shot, it's broken. Let her stew in the failure. Besides, I can't have two dates in one day. It'd be a bad sitcom." What he didn't saw was that he wasn't in the shape to be confronting anyone head on right now. He could still carry a gun, but felt naked with only two. "Come on you lummoxes. We'll circle around and try and link back up with your squad. Carry my weapons."

"Sir yes sir." Ovid said, running off to scoop Richards discarded weapons out of the sand. Richard made his way over and wrenched the the railgun out personally, and the three set off around the side of the battle, the Zakus leading the way.