FalloutJack

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

It took a moment of intense not-blinking to convince Mikasa to calm herself. Many people had died today, annd so it was more than a little understandable that Mikasa's protective attitude towards Eren would come out. She knew these three almost as well as she knew each other. In a situation like this, with Eren caught in the middle of trouble, this is where they would always be. Still, something in the way Kate was trying to copy Mikasa's intensity must have seemed genuine and trustworthy to her, because she relented, and allowed Sarah to give a hand. A quick look around followed, to make sure nothing was trying to grab them, and then up they went, straight to the top of Rosa. As they did, Kathherine couldn't help but look down at the area of the now-sealed gate, which had originally been where the Colossal Titan sent his fateful kick. She saw-

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"I'm broken, sweetheart... Couldn't move if my life depended on it."

"Then, lemme take you somewhere they can fix you!"

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No no no! Shut up! Shut up! This wasn't like back then! Things are different now! They can fight! They can kill! The Colossal Titan failed! The Colossal Titan... Where WAS the Colossal Titan, anyway? OR the Armored Titan? They were gone again, vanished just as quickly as they arrived. You couldn't get away that quickly. You just couldn't. Someone would see where you went, but those two seemed to appear and disappear at will...and boy did they have will. The only one that might've had even more than that was Eren, followed closely by Mikasa. Who was it that sounded the attack and charged the Colossal Titan as soon as it appeared? This boy, the one now resting atop the wall where it all started. Katherine looked around...then had to blink rapidly.

"Agh...how does she do that thing with her eyes...?"

Honestly, all that intense staring, just to get Eren up a wall where it was SAFE! That hurt! And the sun was still out and she didn't have anything to keep it out. No wonder Aunt Hange wore those glasses. She must've gotten eye-strain all the time, just like her own mother! So, cue Katherine irritably rubbing her eyes for a moment, thankful that there was no sign of another Colossal surprise today, before turning to face the others and pulling out her diary and pen. To be fair, this was not her original diary. Even after drawing and writing small in the original one, she had long ago run out of pages. This was Kate Bellows' Diary the 7th! She found an empty page, put pen to paper, and said...

"I want to know everything."

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

Someone shouted her name. Usually, nobody had any reason to, that they left her to her own devices and got results. It was only when they wanted a change that someone said anything to her, or because she wasn't paying attention. Back in training, when she had still been new to everything, someone had disturbed her concentration while she was writing in her diary...and she just snapped and bit him. Not many altercations like that since. Not many people were dumb enough to startle her, anymore. Sara called her and her hand whipped out, thinking there was a Titan nearby or something. When nothing presented itself, she looked and saw who was talking.

She wants me to follow? To wh...? Ohhh...

To the big one, the shouter, the raging Titan. Ignoring blood that had gotten all over her - Titan blood mostly evaporates over time, right? - she launched her own hooks to reel in and follow. Notably, Katherine operated conservatively with her ODM Gear's steam pressure. She seemed to know the limits and the necessities for good control and acceleration, so she lasted longer on a supply than most others. Of course, you can't argue with the results of people who moved at breakneck speed and had a ton of Titan kills to their name for having perfected a number of techniques in taking them down, but that was their way. Kate saw the entire thing as simple logistics. You have a limited amount of steam-pressure, so you use it in the most efficient way...unless it's an emergency. Then, you worry about what comes later when you have a later.

When they came to the open area, though...where was it? He'd been here! He was RIGHT HERE! You could hear him bellowing all over town! He had more bellows in him - if you'll excuse the pun - than Kate did! The only thing around appeared to be three soldiers, apart from Sara and herself. Wait... No, they couldn't have killed it. Not when Mikasa was standing right there, the one who told her not to. Kate could see Sara trying to help them get an unconscious soldier up to his feet...and it all clicked together. The roaring Titan possessed of an anger for other Titans than humanly possible, the warning from Mikasa when she approached it, and then this wild talk she heard from others about using the Titan to help them seal up Trost... It all added up to...

"Eren..."

Eren was a Titan... Eren was a Titan, and he'd decapitated like a dozen other Titans that she'd seen alone! Why was this...? What was going on? A surge of possibilities, theories, potential answers went through her as she tried to catch up to the situation at hand. Others would think it shock, and maybe part of it was, but that was when she retreated in herself when she was just a girl. Now, her mind was just chugging away like crazy, trying to make sense of it all. Were Titans always people? Were people always Titans? What did all of this mean? No no no, not now! Mikasa had a bad look in her eye. She knew that look. They'd shared that look and made a bunch of bullies just start running.

Kate approached and Armin must've caught sight of her first. She hadn't even thought about how she looked right now, like some kind of buttcher. Frankly, the whole idea of cutting up giants made of flesh never appealed to Armin anymore than doing that to people or even butchers carving up meat. He was such a fragile sort of guy. Smart, but possessed of none of the rage or talent that Mikasa or Eren had. He was the cooler head of the three. Good lord, when she thought of how knowing these people pulled her out of her shell before the attack... You would almost say that they saved her life. Still, Mikasa was stubborn in regards to anything about Eren. Kate now crouched to meet her at eye-level, the shredders giving her balance, but posing no threat.

"We won't let anything happen. I won't. I promise."

If she was going to listen to anyone...

Well, okay, she'd listen to Armin, as well, but really...who better than your own friends?

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

She once asked her aunt... Well, she asked her alot of things, but the two main ones were 'Why don't they understand?' and 'Why don't they stink?'. In the course of Titan-fighting, there had been a long study of everything a Titan does and everything a Titan is. It was how they knew that Titans were more active in the sun, that they were lighter than the bodies would normally be at that size, that even though they consumed human flesh...they didn't even DO anything with it. They also didn't stink while they lived OR when they died. Of course...any human remains that were discovered... That was different. Really, it was better that way. With a city full of the things dead, you didn't want everyone suffocating in the stench of an army of dead bodies.

Kate had to leave her spot, for now. She hadn't seen any more Titans in her immediate area and definitely saw others that were farther off, getting themselves killed by someone else. That white flash was unmistakable. Much as Katherine had her own reputation in the corps, so did this one. People talked about a light-haired elite, one often associated with Levi Ackerman. Since Kate herself was not always running with the elites herself - more-or-less doing what was known as a 'field study' of equipment and of Titans to watch her back - learning everyone's names ended up being done second-hand. Like, everyone knew the name, Dot Pixis, but not everybody's met 'im, you know? The descriptions, though, matched what she'd heard and even seen from like across a room. Lieutenant Reinhardt had been in town, which was probably why so many people's lives had been spared.

Beyond her skill, her rank, and the fact that she was there, though...you really couldn't tell much about her. She was there, she was good, she left an impression, but she'd had more words with random soldiers helping her in her studies than this woman. Not that this was on purpose, mind you. She was just busy. The war, the endless conflict, so much work...

Anyway, she had left her vantage point and swung along to different buildings, clattering across rooftops, and finally walking along the ground to attract attention. Titans sought out people, but if they didn't see people, they investigated noise. And sometimes, even if they'd spotted people, you could still get some of them to come if you were loud enough. That was why she ended up walking along the road, shouting "Titans! Fresh meat! Come and get it!", although she could've shouted anything and they STILL would've come. This was what bothered her, sometimes. They lived in a daze, uncomprehending. She could have said 'Makeshift catapult! Evil conquers all!' and it would've made no difference. She hated that these things existed and that they always had to go on a rampage. But more than that, she hated that they didn't even appear to know that they were doing it.

To those who ever worked with her, the sound of Katherine shouting was known to just be a distraction. In case someone didn't know, she always pitched her shouts not to sound like she was seriously in distress. So, if she went and shouted 'Help! Help! I'm lost and helpless!', it always sounded like she was kidding. The Titans never knew the wiser, it seemed. It was only noise to them. It was actually kind of depressing, though it seemed like the new Titan, the roaring Titan, ignored this. Did he know better? Well, still...it didn't seem her latest call-out was producing results. Probably better to move to a new area.

No sooner had she activated lines and swung up, though, then a smaller Titan began to reach over a roof. Wait, what? No, it was very simple. It hadn't been tall enough to reach over the building from the other side, so it had climbed, and now that it was on the (half-collapsed) roof, it was trying to gnab her out of the air! With a twist, the Titan suddenly had no fingers. It seemed to gawk at that as she aimed her next line right at the neck and closed the distance. The next few seconds would finger Katherine vigorously stabbing the neck into pieces with her claws. It took more effort this way, but then most people never used the tips of their swords, anyway.

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

This day had become a living nightmare.

Five years ago, at Wall Maria, everyone who survived would know exactly what this was like...because it was almost the same thing last time. The day would be quiet, uneventful, and then suddenly out of nowhere...the Colossal Titan stood towering over all, even able to look over the wall itself. That massive skinless creature looking down on humanity, and then there'd be an incredible impact, leading to the destruction of the outer gate. The appearance of the Armored Titan was not far after, like it'd been planned, to ram the inner gate and leave humanity open to the threat of Titans. But why? What was it all for? Why did they have to do this? As the horror show played out, then and now, generally nobody is asking these questions. They have more important matters to deal with now. Asking the question why was for scholars and the religious, and at better times than this. Except...some did both.

While some people, like Eren, were always focused on fighting and some, like Armin, were mainly thinkers by nature, there are those who seem to always pick things apart - tear situations down to their bear bones - and work to figure out how best to handle a situation on the fly. 'Thinking on their feet' is what they call this, or strategy, or just being quick-witted. Well, whatever you call it, some people had it, and some people had it more than they had interactions with other people.

She stopped her work and took a vantage point halfway up the wall to look over Trost. It was so much like Shiganshina, and they'd fought so hard to make this untrue. She had started the day here, showing off to the others with the equipment in her hands now. Admittedly, they were a bit heavy in comparison to standard Titan-Cutters, but the minor flaws were overcome by how effective a tool it was. One pass, one strike, and the Titan-Shredder destroyed the base of the neck, the weakpoint all Titans shared. Katherine hung off of the wall, feet braced and arms dangling, as she waited. Around her hands were a pair of reinforced leather gauntlets, which a trio of Titan-Cutter blades were attached. They were like claws, and they way they were situated even left you hands largely free. You just had to be careful when scratching an itch or something.

Today had been nothing but killing Titans and making sure survivors could get away. With the arrival of that new Titan, things had changed. Suddenly, there was an unknown fighter on the field, punching heads right off of their necks and roaring with an endless rage. It was frightening, and yet...invigorating. Wasn't it just what all humans felt at this point, towards the Titans? Wasn't it the rrage of every human being who fell prey to these things? It made her strike harder and faster, leaving heavy corpses lying as these thing continued to fight. She'd almost attacked it when it first appeared. Thank god Mikasa stopped her. It might've been the end of everything if she'd done that.

So now, the wait was over. What was she doing, just sitting here on the wall? Not just contemplating events of late. No no no... Her job right now was to clean-up the remaining Titans, and so she had swung through areas on her way here, making noise and calling out. One thing that all the regular Titans had in common: They were easy to lure to one place. If the cannons had been functional, she would've ordered a salvo right here, but the Colossal Titan wrecked them at the beginning of the battle. Now, people would see a solitary figure on a wall descend, a brown-haired fighter just drop towards a bunch of 5-7-meter creatures. You might call this wreckless, but it had all been worked out ahead of time. There were a few of them, and they'd been harder to spot while still in the city, but not so difficult now.

The very tallest one, she kicked off of the wall to get behind the head of and twisted to slash its neck apart. Blood spattered from the wound and it began to collaspe. The others clambered immediately, but she'd kicked off and quickly got to the head of the outer-most one of the group, leaning down to stab with both arms and slash out. It was easier to reach these points once you got to smaller ones, needing less force as well. She leapt out of reach of the remaining three and pendulum'd, adding a bit of acceleration as she ran the wall and jumped to get around their fat fingers and strike again. All she needed was the right height, to adjust as needed, and a bit of momentum. Soon, these ones were done, but there still might be more...

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

Katherine Bellows

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KATHERINE BELLOWS
(キャサリンベローズ)
Kyasarin Berōzu

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Alias:
Kate, That Bellows Girl, Tinker, Meddler, Sneaker, Wild Eyes, Titan-Shredder.

Species: Human.
Gender: Female
Birthdate: October 27th.
Age: 16-17.
Height: 5' 5"

Relatives/Relationships:
Jonathan Bellows - Biological Father (deceased)
Myra Bellows - Biological Mother (deceased)
Hange Zoë - Biological Aunt (alive)
Grisha Jaeger - Former Doctor (deceased)
Carla Jaeger - Friend; Older (deceased)
Eren Jaeger - Friend; Younger (alive)
Armin Arlert - Friend; Younger (alive)
Mikasa Ackerman - Friend; Younger (alive)

Current Residence: Utopia District in Wall Rose.
Former Residence: Shiganshina District in Wall Maria.
Occupation: Survey Corps Member, Research & Development.
Affiliation: Survey Corps; Scout Regiment.

Hair Color: Auburn-Brown.
Eye Color: Violet.

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Personality:
Following a history of abuse, Kate's social development was a slow burn, as her former doctor had noted that she was "in a state of repression; hiding within herself, until it's safe to come out.” It was hard for the world to reach the quiet and solitary Kate, who spent much of her time studying and exploring by herself. Eventually, after crossing paths with Eren, Armin, and Mikasa, the true side of Katherine came out, revealing a truly inquisitive, street-smart, and energetic girl behind all her pain and loneliness. Unfortunately, for all her youthful beauty, she is not very feminine. Due to suffering from the degree of early childhood trauma, despite her compassion and selflessness, remnants of Kate have been filled with mental and emotional instability, making her incredibly unpredictable, and prone to feral yet inappropriate outbursts; her own anger can manifest into that of savage aggression. This led for her to be known as 'That Bellows Girl', because of this odd, sometimes concerning, behavior.

Since the Shiganshina invasion, Katherine does not, but really tries to understand the mindset of the monsters that robbed her of her home. Adding to her curious nature, she developed a habit of voicing this wonder aloud, often asking "Why do you do it? Do you even understand? Are you even in there?", as well as began to associate their dazed and uncontrollable behavior with her own mental state. Even after she threw herself into military training, Kate continues to write these personal thoughts into a booklet, of which she treats as an outlet for herself, whilst having to fill it with notes, involving designs, ideas, and theories for mechanical improvements and innovative inventions. The very concept of coming up with new things and improving old ones, serves as her comfort zone and, if anyone needed assistance with such a field, Kate is the first to go to, and the first to step up, as she might have an idea or two. Essentially, Katherine’s intellect outpaces her own emotions.

Speaking of which, now that it is been thrown into the sun, it has become rather difficult for Katherine to figure out certain feelings, whether it is her own, or that of someone else. That does not mean she is not without knowledge of people caring for each other but, due to being born in an unstable household, she has little-to-no experience of developing genuine attachments. Beyond her small group of friends, and extraordinarily little family, Kate, to this day, tries to fit in; all-the-while, not even sure what kind of person she would like, although it is possible she may be seeking someone of whom she could confide in, and depend on; someone that can give her a sense of hope and purpose. Nonetheless, she knows that humanity needs a savior, so, to the best of her ability, Katherine gives it her all to support the military, and ensure her kind’s survival.

Abilities:
Omni-Directional Mobility Gear & Blade-Wielding : Even before she started her training, despite her somewhat non-physical stature, Kate’s slender but fit body has allowed her in becoming more notably agile, balanced, and fast; whether or not she’s on the battlefield, Kate has no trouble getting around with her ODM gear. Due to not possessing great physical strength, she is still working to perfect her blade-wielding skills

Olympic-Level Agility/Martial Arts : Even without her ODM gear, regarding her athletic grace, Kate is naturally flexible, therefore she can perform movements that others can’t seem to replicate. This is especially evident in her use of hand-to-hand combat, as she utilizes her agility and reflexes to greatly benefit her lithe stature. She seems to also possess a mastery in parkour, both on and off the battlefield - being able to run, jump, and climb, with great speed.

Genius Intellect : It is possible that Kate's real strength is her clever and innovative mind, as she has quite the knack of coming up with solutions and ideas, when dealing with situations, whether or not, it involves the battlefield. Her personal 'diary' is an outlet for these thoughts, having to be filled with notes on improving machinery, developing new devices, and so forth; her greatest invention being the infamous ‘Titan-Shredder’, a combat device she herself conceived.

Voiced By:

Laura Bailey

Live-Portrayer:

Kirsten Prout

Theme Song(s):

Survivor by Die Happy

Battle Theme

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

For all those wishing that command had made any sort of mention of armored vehicles, you are not alone.

Isaac Black didn't ask much out of life. A fair say in things, the benefit of the doubt, the chance to earn his keep... He wasn't exactly getting much of that right now, and that already pissed him off, but now things were going a little too far. It was only the beginning of their mission into Amone, and already things were being thrown out the door!

"Who the hell would even think of such a thing? Can you see a way out of it?"

"Not from here! Maybe up top?"

Because this wasn't just some car with bits tacked on. This was a machine of war. they built this deliberately for combat purposes, and somehow nobody knew about it, or nobody knew about it enough to spread around the details. During such a moment of shock in the face of this metal monster, Gwyn suddenly spoke up, making sure everyone who was suppose to be here, was here, and also alive. Isaac blinked at that, kind of side-swiped with a bout of cognitive dissonance.

"Umm...I'm here. Living. How are you?"

"Everyone's here that's suppose to be here, Gwyn."

"I'll be honest, I'm a little worried about Jean and the rest. Thought I heard a scream."

"They'll pull through. You know Jean. You know he'll get everyone out of there.'

Yeah, she was right. Jean would- Ah, shit! Both Gunners ducked and Isaac shouted "Down!" as a hail of suppression fire from the troops gathered behind the armored car started opening up on the street. It wasn't specifically aimed their way, but you can't risk a bullet at the wrong time in this situation. He then did a 'Three, two, one, GO!' sign for both him and Britta to suddenly return fire and hopefully catch a whole bunch of them off-guard, preferrably while they were reloading. You want suppression fire? This was a machine gun nest, jackasses! The two of them reloaded quickly, themselves.

"We may need more rooms in a hurry, you two! They're gonna take a hating to us real fast!"

He said that, then raised his head a little-

Dink!

OW! Wait, that was a-

"DOWN AGAIN!!"

BOOOOMMM!!

The grenade had been lobbed at the window by one of the the surviving Troppen, and it smacked Isaac in the helmet 'cause he'd raised his head, thinking someone was gonna do something just that. As a result, the thing had landed on the sidewalk outside, maybe a couple of feet from their position. The shrapnel wasn't gonna reach them if nobody was looking out the window, but there was some question of concussion, and frankly good sense. Better to know for sure by diving for cover. Question is...was the armored car still paying attention to the street, the main group, or them?

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

So...in an effort to try not to intrude on Michael and Lucia's heart-to-heart by accident...or Jean's ability to flirt with everyone who breathed...and to make sure he didn't overhear Freya talking like...that, Isaac made some smalltalk with his fellow Gunner. He had elected to coordinate with and trust the girl hefting the rapid-fire weapon, but he hadn't really heard all that much about her. It was also to get both of their minds off of the obvious mess that use to be a town that loomed before them. Seemed fair, and speaking OF fair, Britta was invited to start.

"Any particular reason it has to be me?"

"Because people have been hearing little tidbits about me, already."

"Not altogether that much, and you volunteered those nuggets of info."

"Uhh, ladies first, then?"

"A gentleman proceeds for a lady's honor."

"I'm just a simple farmer, ma'am."

"Me too. Well, farming and milling."

"Livestock, and domesticating wolves."

Their conversation had started out light-hearted and teasing, but now Britta glared at him.

"You're making that up.

"I'm really not. I was delivering the latest batch for use when I was taken. ...I miss them. Not just my family, but my pack of wolves."

Britta remembered, back at the site of Hill 58, the two of them heading for the newly-captured position, Isaac getting a look on his face and muttering 'Memories of home' by way of explanation. Everybody who hadn't volunteered for combat was torn from everything they loved - friends and family, their normal daily life, and all. So, Isaac wasn't kidding at all about the wolves, and...to be honest...you could kind of see it in him. He had the right stare, the quiet attitude that could suddenly grow fierce at a moment's notice, and certainly that desire to look out for others. They'd taught each other things, hadn't they, during the time he raised his pack... Isaac described what it was like, training those wolves. It was dangerous, but he made it sound like a labor of love. He mentioned these things, and about his recruitment, so...

"I joined to relieve my parents of the costs needed to feed and clothe me. We'd been having a bad year. It was the least I could do. I'd always wanted to travel...but I'd hoped it wouldn't have to be like this. I'll handle myself, don't you worry. I just don't like the circumstances of it all."

"I guess my going on about how much I hate recruitment officers doesn't help."

"No, I understand completely. The work that either of our families do is important. It's just the circumstances that change it."

"Thanks, Britta."

"No problem."

There was a pause, then...

"So, were you ever bit-"

"You know the answer to that."

So, in the meantime, Jean was getting along with the newest recruit (and newest Darcsen). Good god, it was true. He was going to slowly pull in every single woman who ever lies on him with his supernatural powers. He might not be aware of them, but Jean Robin Charpentier was fucking magic. Ines was a bit strange, alternatively being friendly and calling Amone a hole...and reminding her of home. Granted, right now, Amone WAS a hole, but it wasn't the town's fault. It was just in the path of devastation, the new battlefield they were gonna have to romp around in. Still, remarks from Ines were a might bit fresher than Luke mouthing off. He took a helluva lot of opportunity to do that, and in his latest...well...he decided he needed to tell off a Darcsen, when his immediate NCO was a Darcsen. This, Isaac mused, was a bad idea even when you consider how much of a nice guy Jean was. His official dressing down of Private Godfrey was NOT kind. In fact, you might say he wasn't so much AS dressed-down as stripped naked by the Corporal's outburst. He dropped an F-Bomb and came pretty close to threatening Luke over this, although he backed off and said that this really wasn't him, the way he does things. Isaac, however, didn't mind following up, so as he stopped by Godfrey.

"Luke, we're not different people in this damn war, so stow the Darcsen hate or any other kind you can think up at the moment. You don't have to like it, but you do have to shut up about it."

They continued on, Isaac looking out for their surroundings like a Gunner should, watching the squad when Britta had eyes on their surroundings. That pretty much worked in shifts. He hated the whole Darcsen thing. It's already been said. Jean could make General and still there'd be people looking down on him. It was tragic. They entered Amone and...what a shame. It was once beautiful. Now...this place could've been immediate havoc for all, but as it happened...their breach was still taking them to Federation soldiers Anything could have happened between orders and their appearance here, but things were - at least, currently - looking up. Well...despite the rain. They met an officer now, and he was one reason why he was glad he'd told off Luke where Jean had stopped. He was a Darcsen, as well, and they didn't need more trouble than they all deserved, at this point. Isaac would've been fine talking with this guy, but Jean was in charge and he could certainly handle things here. Things weren't good. To sum up: The Imperial soldiers could be anywhere, and it was going to take them a while to get where they were going...leaving them ample opportunity to assault them from a large host of locations.

At least with all of us taking this rain in the face, we're gonna end up smelling decent enough.

Couldn't say for sure what it would do for visibility or hearing on either side. Dampen it, most likely. Get it? Alright, it was a bad joke, but it was also true. Detection would be harder on BOTH sides. Oh, and there was another thing: They would be taking on a few new items, at least one each. Extra weapons, because apparently trench knives didn't cut it outside of said trenches. That was a shame. He rather liked his knife. It was well-balanced and keen, plus the knuckles were spiked. Still, they were very insistent, so when it came time for Isaac, he looked at something that he thought was a hatchet, but was called a prybar. Funny, he thought a prybar would be a metal rod with a wedge. Go figure. He shoved that in his belt as Britta pulled a serrated blade out and shoved it into a spare knife holster. Well, I say into. It was a bit long, so it was more like shoving it through. Can't just keep something like that in your belt. It'll cut the thing apart. The captain gave them their directions and told them to move out quickly. He couldn't have the Imperials spotting everyone here and having a feeding frenzy of bullets. Fair understanding, just as they had to understand that going through this half-destroyed town was gonna be like going through a thick forest. Sorry, folks. 'Concrete Jungle', as a term, hasn't been invented yet. Anyway, they were soon getting on their way. They needed to get to those tunnels, hopefully with as little interference as possible.

Oh, what's that? Spoke too soon? God dammit...

There was gunfire! Oh, there was gunfire, alright... It was a machine gun from somewhere, and it was taking purchase of some of the people from the gathering. Well, points to the Captain! He was certainly right about that! Already a better commanding officer than Middleton! Too bad he might be dead now... Both Isaac and Jean immediately signaled everybody to take cover and keep low and away from whoever just fired. There was...some kind of an engine noise coming from that. Well, that clinched it. Someone had taken their machine gun tour on the road. AND, judging from the shot from the other direction, they had coordinated to take them from both sides. Jean opened up, Isaac and Britta followed up, in both directions That would make them think for a bit, those of whom that managed to avoid eating a succession of bullets. After all, it was still a street. It made it hard to avoid things in such confined places. The only problem was that Isaac could've sworn he heard bullets hitting a wall. Damn mist, screwing with their aim... Jean gave out his orders, though, and then they saw that it really WAS A wall!

Good freakin' grief, what the hell is THAT suppose to be?

It was a vehicle, obviously, but one that had had steel welded to it - or it was just made out of it - which would make for a great deal of difficulty in trying to hit whoever was making use of it. You have to appreciate the the fact that they took the time to work on such a thing... Well, for maybe two seconds. Then, it's duck-and-cover time as the thing spat more fire. It wasn't anymore accurate than a machine gun nest was, but then it didn't have to. He was a gunner, so he knew. You just had to open fire enough, and eventually nothing's moving anymore. Well, we can't have that. As a distraction, Isaac fired a quick burst of his machine gun at where he thought people had to see out of. It was nothing but slits in that thing, highly unlikely he'd get a bullet through, but it'd raise noisy hell and spark, so the machine gun operator would stand back a second.

"Alright, everyone who's with me, with me now!"

He'd heard Franz ask Ines to flank the machine, which meant following him, as well. Okay, that meant they would have both Gunners, a Sapper, and a Shocktrooper. Excellent. It wasn't sure WHY that was excellent, but he was working on it, dammit! Isaac got moving into the building on the right, the door being of little consequence in the face of his full-speed self, even if it HAD been locked, which it wasn't. He shouted for everybody to get in and GET DOWN, because no-doubt some gunfire was gonna follow. The one thing that armored thing couldn't do was follow them inside, so it would have to guess where they were if it wanted to harm any of them.

"Alright, now does anybody have anything that can take out a wheel? Because I can't help but notice it needs those to move!"

He was saying this while he and Britta were prepping machine guns to take out anyone on foot that they didn't want to be footing around. Already, he saw someone getting bold. A quick blast and a duck-outta-sight later, that guy was alot less bold. Also dead. After the operator of the machine gun behemoth was done raising hell for shooting said soldier, Isaac cleared his throat.

"Like I was saying, either we have something right this second to slow it down, or we don't and we're covering our people to get them the hell out of this. That last part's mine and Britta's task, by default. Watch our backs and if you've got any nifty plans on handling that steel-plated jackass, lemme know!"

He got back to work, switching back between himself and Britta. By alternating, they wouldn't be sure where the gunfire was gonna come from, at least, wouldn't know where to cast their reprisal. This day was hell, already...

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

TERRA

"Yes, of course I'll come.

Something that Narra would have to get use to was that Terra had priorities. Even Red-Star had to get use to the fact that she was active and roaming about in unexpected ways, would have rational explanations and possibly lies for them, and would really only alter (temporarily) if a direct order was given. Her way of doing things plus her control made it exceedingly difficult to know what she was thinking, so as long as she reported acceptable answers to questions, they were none the wiser. Now, Commander Narra had nothing to fear from this mode of action, but he had to live with the fact that she found certain methods better for her. Checking up on Kxeyun after making sure Hisako was alright was the order of operations in her mind, and it seemed prudent that - while she had the communicator out - that she should give the Commander a heads-up into her plans. So now, she headed to the operations room, waited her turn to speak, and then dropped this on him.

"Now then, as you ask, I do have a plan regarding the defectors. We've been unexpectedly successful in gaining new NC pilots in the last battle. I fully-expected to have to kill, but instead I brought you Hisako and somebody else brought in Tabris. With this and Kxeyun and myself, we have an effective group of new defectors. Initially, I was just going to suggest sort of a welcoming defector's party, but I think that this should serve as merely a point to establish a squad which I will manage personally. You have treated me well here, and I wish to convey that to other defectors under my wing, that during their transition out of what they know and into something better that they can trust their surroundings because they can place their trust in me, one who has been through the same situation."

Granted, this was a bit different for each person. Kxeyun escaped from an NC bloodsport, Tabris was a brain in a mech, and Hisako was a slave forced to comply both mentally and physically with all demands until now. None of them have had it easy, but then none of them were playing a long game against Red-Star, quietly sowing dissent since the age of ten. It was the sort of thing you had to be made for, and she had been. They did it to themselves.

"The fact is that such defections must be getting a great deal of attention and murmurings in their areas, particularly in Red-Star. Their new genetically-engineered soldier torched a hangar and left with her NC. The Grand Sword Star was taken without a fight. Their experimental NC-human hybrid goes rogue. All this, and I'm sure a great deal of people know of Kxeyun's escape from Denver-Vegas by now. Quite alot of attention will be focused on Haven. Red-Star will want us taken down more than ever before, but they were committed to that, anyway. The squad I propose should happen as a statement to those who don't want to be where they are that there is something better."

She'd said her peace. Terra believed that she should command those who trusted her, or that she believed she could gain the trust OF, in short order. Now, the Commander would have to decide.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

DREAD

No one talked to Dread as he exited Ursa Nova. In fact, almost nobody talked ot Dread ever, except in reports and communications on what they wanted him to do. The last person to make small-talk with him ended up quickly punched in the face and then his groin crushed through a relentless stomping. It was probably because he'd told anyone maintaining his mech "Just keep it running at optimum and shut up." and that guy didn't listen. Since he was technically a Comrade, no matter HOW horrible he acted, his orders were absolute insofar as lower-grades were, so absolutely no one stopped him from nearly killing this guy. They were afraid of him, besides, and that seemed to keep him in an acceptable mood.

Today, he had crushed an enemy NC and burned down or destroyed a fair amount of city. THAT was how you dominate people. You ruin their lives. Australia was a piss-hole anyway. It has trees that catch fire without anyonee even doing anything, just ignite if the temperature rises. Anyway, while his mood was fairly-amicable at the moment, he was actually looking forward to blowing off some steam in a very special way. 'Give him someone to kill', they said. It's just as well. He didn't want to hear their pathetic meetings about their long plans and short sights. He saw what happened. He was there when it happened. They lost some of their decent pieces on the board. How utterly pathetic. Well, no matter. It was time to satiate his own rumblings. No, not hunger! EAT human flesh? Disgusting! Human beings weren't worth the blood it took to make them live, not outside of his own self. Don't be stupid...

No, the chamber in the hold they set aside for him had several victims for slaughter lined up. As instructed, they were blindfolded and left UNgagged, but cuffed hand and foot, to prevent departure, with the key left firmly in HIS hands. There were only a few here, but he needed not too many to keep himself amused. The game lay in the build-up and the pay-off. So, with four here - two men and two women - he entered the room. Immediately, he saw something that gave him displeasure, though. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the table that was off to the side and sighed in irritation.

"Tools... Always with the tools. Like I need special assistance to get what I want. Idiots..."

Now, there was some of the predictable noise going on here, a bit of panic and whimpering, one of the men demanding to know what they were doing here. That one was the expendable one. Oh, was it not mentioned? He had managed to push someone into grabbing a pair here that were special guests, ones that he was looking forward to recording for later. You see, it'd taken a while, because they didn't share her name, but eventually he located them: The parents of that defective, Terra Laedo. Oh yes, she was there today, and those assholes had called him back before he could lash into her and the other one, the slave who decided to leave her masters.

But enough about disappointment. It was time to begin. This game would be played in stages. Now, for those who are faint of heart, we won't be going into details, but it goes without saying that a man like Dread was rather viceral and creative in how he did things. For instance, the expendable man... His answer would come in the form of his being given no chance, no warning, just beating. He was meat to be tenderized, by hand. Dread did not use tools like a doctor or a carpenter. Was he some low-class performer? NO! He was greater than all who stand idly by! His own two hands were enough. Beat the fool senseless, break his limbs, tear out a couple of his teeth, crack those ribs... All of this to instill the right amount of panic and fear in the room. That's right, he's preparing a fear turkey! His special guests would hear him working on the man, and then he'd fully-release the expendable woman so they could hear the full range of her panic as she became the next victim. This did not take as long, but it was potent in reinforcing what was to happen next. He removed cuffs on the hands of Terra's mother and told her to get rid of all the others on her husband and herself.

"You two get a rare privilege with me. You get to understand. The fullness of my anger cannot be contained within a single vessel alone. It must be beaten into the flesh of another to relieve the unimaginable strain of...having to watch you all exist."

"If you hate others so much, why are you bothering to gloat?"

Oh, the father was a sharp one. Yes, Dread even gave him a smile. It wasn't a pleasant one.

"Because I want your daughter to understand what's coming for her."

"I get it now. You're recording this for her benefit. Another Red-Star stooge trying to scare us into submission."

The man almost didn't see it coming. The hand moved so quickly that the flinch barely had time to register before his head was in a grip like a vice and he was pulled towards Dread's face. His wife tried to ply him off, but he shoved her to the ground. They were both getting on in years and not particularly strong, and Dread killed people with his bare hands. No chance, and that man had just put him in a full-on rage as he shouted in his ear.

"It's not about THEM! FUCK THEM! I'M the one that matters! NO ONE DEFIES ME!! NO ONE!! ESCAPES!! ME!!!"

He saw his wife going for the table of tools and things, causing him to release the man and kick the table over with enough force to slam it into the wall. The look on his face was pure murder.

"You touch even one of those filthy things and I'll break you slowly and leave you for the animals!"

Then, he punched her to put her in a daze, just in case she got any other ideas. He went back to the father, grabbing him by throat.

"Your daughter left you to die. I will make sure she gets her money's worth."

Terra's father remained defiant as he spoke with gritted teeth. There was the proof that they were related...

"My daughter left because she must... I was a good father...and that is why she will kill every one of you."

That just made his blood boil...and his grip tighten. However, the door opened, just then. Damn them, for having the master key to this place. He should've torn it from their fingers, as well. Several men with guns and a squad leader or something above a grunt stood inside the room now. Dread didn't like his face. He also didn't like his words.

"Release them, Dread. Command wants these two for their own purposes, not your amusement. I don't know how you got a hole of them, but they're more valuable to us alive."

He released the father and approached the soldier speaking for the squad, ignoring their guns. He saw the look in their eyes, looking at his face, looking at this place... They didn't want to be here, interrupting this. They wanted to be as far away from here as possible. This other jackass, though. He was smug, judgemental, and suddenly...he had Dread's forehead smashing his nose in with a headbutt, making him fold like an origami crane and hitting the floor.

"She left them, you idiot! You think their pathetic hostage plans are gonna get her back now?! They are waste material to be FLUSHED!"

One of the other soldiers piped in, much more insecurely than this dumbass. He gets it.

"Comrade Dread, please! It's orders from the top rank! They believe there's still a use for them!"

They could see that Dread was debating lashing out even farther than just this man or even just this room, but he had no inclination to start that kind of fun, just yet. They had been pleased that his performance had yielded results, and they would shower him with gifts for that. They ruined his plans for pushing Terra into a death mode that would bring the ultimate rage-inducing battle now. For now, he would have to do without. He gestured for them to take the two away, but when one of the soldiers moved to pick up their squad leader, an iron grip forced his hand away.

"Leave that."

That one would suffer a long and fruitful death, as Dread explored just how long a man could survive while he was killing him.

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

Seems like 'Captain Grumpus' was gonna stick.

At least, it was funny and fitting enough that some of the wind could be taken out of Middleton's sails while his back was turned. Certainly while he was no longer here, watching and judging them, they could say whatever the hell they wanted. The only way that could possibly change was...well...Isaac didn't want to think about that. It was just a small little paranoid thought in the back of his head, like the idea that the Green Fox would be watching their every move from afar. He just might, but there was no use worrying about it, for now. Isaac shook his head with a smirk as Diana mentioned 'Grumpus' stealing Christmas.

"No, not that. Just our cheer."

But they'd be fighting for that too, in the days to come. Nothing is ever won easily, but many things are worth fighting for. Isaac mainly wanted survival to kick a few noteworthy asses, and so would plenty of the others, no doubt. Jean seemed to be fighting for the affections of all the ladies. Maybe he was just too polite to turn people down, so they stacked up, regardless of what would happen once they started to compete. Diana was obsessed with him, there was an attempt at poetry on Kalisa, and now it looked like he was flirting with Reyna.

This won't end well. Something's gonna go wrong and poor Jean will be shoved face-first into a trash can.

Ah, but what's this? A NEW challenger has approached! Looks like another Darcsen was coming in, and...yes, she was joining the ranks of the 15th! Honestly, it was kind of surprising that he wasn't getting Lucia's attention too, except that she was more focused on Michael. They were having a bit of a talk after their little joke. However, it looked like the girl really DID want a heart-to-heart. Well, Michael was certainly equipped on that front. Isaac didn't want to overhear this part. If it was half as personal as it looked on the girl's face, he didn't want to cause a more serious embarrassment here. A joke's a joke, but Isaac knew that both of them were pretty scarred by this stuff already. If they talked now, they would have something to bond over and maybe they'd feel better, afterwards.

One can only hope.

So anyway, they were adding a Private Levesque to the roster. And...that's all they would find out, right off, as she didn't communicate more. Seemed kind of a no-nonsense sort, which was alright if you just preferred to stay focused. Isaac found that Britta more-or-less weighed in on topics when she had something to say, and not just reply to any old thing. Nothing wrong with that, of course. So, while Jean was rather surprised by the new recruit, the two Gunners too the opportunity to keep watch on their surroundings.

Amone...was a dead city. It's sad to say, but it was true. The livelyhood of this important town had been crushed by war, and now it sort of hung on in limbo, waiting for the time in which it would find either salvation or destruction. Destruction in full was, of course, not very likely. Not unless the Imperials somehow thought this town did not have worth, strategically. That wasn't likely. Jean invformed Levesque that though she was welcome, she had not come at a good time. Isaac wasn't sure if there WAS a good time, but he was sure that he meant that Amone awaited them and that things would get hairy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He moved silently along the streets, slow in some, pace quickened in others. No weapons did he bring but his own, and supplies only what he was given to pass on. To deliver, that was his duty. Also to fight, if necessary, but only when the need arose, usually when directed because he was fast and nimble enough to avoid being shot, aware of his surroundings enough to never be caught. Only those well-hidden from him would catch him by surprise, and even then, they might never catch anything more than his fleeting shadow. His orders were clear and his training without flaw. He used every skill at his disposal here in the city, where gunsmoke made him sneeze and places around smelt of burning. All he had to do was get to the others, and then he could eat some food and rest for a bit. He would not find peace in this place, not so long as the pounding shots that hurt his ears continued, both near and far. It could not be ignored, not by him, but with saving grace he could know where they are and how to avoid such trouble. He would never truly understand what it was about, only know that he must protect those in his charge, and do what they asked him to do.

The hideaway they chose was near. An alleyway, a door, and no enemy around. They heard his desire for entry, and they soon let him inside, eager to know what information he had, or maybe some supplies from some of the others. It wasn't easy to carry them, at times. He was not as great in height or in size. He did what he could. He sat at attention, looking to the man who gave him his orders, waiting for the taller man's approval in silence. There was a nod, and then the hand descended to his head.

"Good boy, Rikes. I was hoping to hear some good news for a change."

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

Terra and Kxeyun

The return to Haven Base had been equal-parts relieving, concerning, and unusual. Relieving, since the battle was over and while they hadn't been without damages or casualties, they'd made Red-Star pay for that much. Concerning, because of the damages sustained and even a friend having been hurt in the process. And unusual...because among those they'd managed to get to cross over to their side...there was literally a living mech here now. Even Terra didn't know about that one, and she was both on the inside and never known to be against Red-Star until the last minute. Some secrets, you keep from even your top people, it seems. Part of her had wanted to see Kxeyun off to the infirmary, to reassure her, but another part - the side that knew that the medics would have her well in hand - knew that that could wait until Hisako was not longer in danger of being electrocuted to death.

That didn't take nearly as long as one much thing, and afterwhich Hisako was naturally off to interrogation. She'd been rather vocally against Haven prior, so you can't blame them for suspecting this sudden defection. Still, since she'd been a slave... Nevermind that now. The Commander had given her a link to talk to Kxeyun, now that she was safely recovering in the infirmary. Terra had looked over Sahaquiel... She must've been through nine kinds of hell, there. The Ex-Star pilot now stood in her room, now back in her normal day-clothes, when she switched on the link to give her the camera feed, and Kxeyun the holo-feed. She'd been told that the other pilot was stable now, so there was no real harm talking.

"Kxeyun? Can you hear me?"

Kxeyun seems instantly relieved to hear a familiar voice, she responds "Loud and clear, Terra." Her facial expression seems familiar to the expression Sahaquiel had with the mouth closed, yet not hidden... A face contemplating and staring. Kxeyun also appears to be doing her best to remain still, with the ocassional gentle twitch. She seems to be trying her best to ignore the residual effects from the link force eject.

The thing is, it was very hard to hide the fact that you were hurting or sickly or afraid or anything like that from Terra once you started talking. The vocal inflections turned to color, and the color made her feel mood the way you would interpret the nature of a painting. People were not the same as a piece of art, but there was certainly alot to be interpretted, and Terra had a bit of an edge on that. Kxeyun was basically putting on a good front to please her, or not to worry. She knew this, also, because of their prior conversation, where she had promised her she wouldn't die, that she'd even protect Terra if she needed it. Well...promise kept, but Terra felt the last part should've been the other way around.

"I'm glad to see you made it. Looks like you had a hard time of it, though. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you. I was on a communication's blackout from helping another pilot defect."

She chuckles. "I'm the idiot for attacking the toughest enemy. I'm surprised I lived, despite me tearing off his arm... You would've died if you stepped in anyways." She seems relaxed now, her face no longer looking as tense. Terra would notice, her tone of voice is off. Barely noticable but still off, like an itch you can't reach.

Something was...different here, the inflictions and the color were similar, but not the same as before. That had Terra narrowing her eyes slightly in scrutiny, but not for very long. She didn't quite know Kxeyun that well, so for all she knew, the other pilot just sort of HAD moments like these. Right after, though, she put on a smirk to disarm that tone of anyone dying from this tough pilot of theirs.

"What? With you on his flank and Id in his face? I don't know about that. Granted, it obviously takes alot to put you in this condition, but how bad can he be if you made it through? I'll find this person next time, and we'll see. Who was he?"

She squints "I... Remember tearing his arm off then... Something fell into my back? It hurt and paralyzed me..." She seems to have a very hard time recalling this, falling silent and thinking hard "I can't remember."

Must have been well-trained in the disabling of NCs if he did something like that in a hurry. Terra wasn't going to push it too far if she had to strain to recall that much.

"I'll find out from the battle records, later on. I have to say, you're more calm about this than earlier. Was it pre-fight nerves?"

Something was odd here, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Kxeyun had been an emotional wreck before, now she was conversing normally. Terra wondered if it was a problem of neural feedback from battle. She heard that was possible, if the trauma entaled was right. Didn't seem like something you'd get with an experienced fighter from Denver-Vegas, though...

This surprises her "Yeah... Why do I feel so calm?" She begins thinking and as she does so... Terra spots her fingers moving as if they were inputting commands into Sahaquiel's physical controls. She proceeds to partially answer her own question. "It's the same feeling when I initialize the linking system for Sahaquiel, calming... Warm, one can say... Peaceful." Her hands stop moving. She shifts a bit in the medical bed, though. She proceeds to shrug gently "I dunno."

The gestures and her answer seemed to indicate that something had happened at the interface point, indeed. It didn't look to be serious if she was simply calmer, but then Sahaquiel was built for vicious action. You wouldn't want that shoved into a person, all of a sudden.

"You won't mind if we make sure that Sahaquiel's software is in order, will you? It's just better off to be sure about that sort of thing. And when you're out, we should start our own defector's party for those who left our organizations for this one. Getting quite the numbers, already."

"I don't mind, just don't break stuff." she says rather blatantly, smiling. "We should, doctors relayed the information that defectors came. Oh! Maybe a liiiiitle bit of beer once I get out of here?" Her physical expressions get less rigid, and smoother, she seems a lot like herself now after that Terra arrived to check on her.

"For you, maybe. I'm not so sure about the others. I have no idea what I'm like with alcohol, I have a fair idea what Hisako would be like drunk, and I'm equal-parts not sure if Tabris CAN get drunk...or should."

Drunken mecha. Could you picture it? Well, actually...picture Megatron overcharged on Energon from the G-1 series and you might just have it. As for Hisako, she would have no inhibitions and Terra had instilled a certain longing for her in that girl, so she might take her up on that offer...

She chuckles, and lets out a deep sigh "The docs should let me out sometime soon, I hope. I think I might wanna nap a bit. Oh, how's the repairs on Saha going?"

"You know Haven. They started working at it just as soon as they got a hold of it. I'm sure they can get it back into working order. Plenty of work ahead of them, though. If you need sleep, I can come back later."

She smiles, and closes her eyes, relaxing... She looks rather cute like this, the little heart tattoo under her eye. She looks to be at peace.

Terra actually smiled at this, glad to see that she was not only on the mend, but also apparently at peace. Kxeyun had gained control. Switching off the feed, Terra thought to herself about the idea of the Defector's Party. If they all learned to trust her, then... Hmmm... Yes, that was an idea... She now opened up communications with Commander Narra.

"There's something I want to ask you, what with the defectors we've been getting and such."