“Demonic Glee”
Perched on the massive dreadnought of Redstar, the Phoenix Inferno watched. Both forces scurried for deployment, being watched intently by the inhuman entity. Peering over the the edge of it's spot, it planned inhumane things for itself to do.
The machine seemed to quiver with excitement, as it pondered the possibilities. With each cruel thought, the NC's frame jitters. As waves crashed on the beach, it's impatience grew ever greater. The tail began to unfurl and move as its own beast, zipping and whipping around. The NC found itself on all fours, as it continue to observe. The Phoenix Inferno's optics were moving rapidly, until they came to a sudden stop.
It removed itself from the edge and became bipedal. The NC placed it's hands in a triangle shape, as if in deep contemplation. The tail continued to move around and even seemed to harass the NC for a bit.
Soon, the NC placed its hands to its side and deployed its wings. The malicious aura filled the area, the entity has come to a conclusion.
The NC lifted I into the sky, and swiftly flew into the hanger. The arrival startled the staff and a few pilots, as the NC barged in. Through a distorted speaker, the entity announced “I'm taking a few things”. Not looking to contest a sentient NC, the staff cleared way. Soon, the Phoenix Inferno and a few crates lifted by a few package drones sat at the entrance of the hanger bay simply waiting for the fun to start.
((Collab Post between Letter Bee, FalloutJack, Neozeon, and Senhara.))
Waves crashed on the shore, as a storm stirred in the sky. Naval forces approached accompanied by Kuei-ren. The Phoenix Inferno deployed from the floating fortress with a few carrier drones following with a few crates. The unit glids through the air towards the beachhead. The entity continued to scan the field of battle at a dizzying speed. Looking for the first of it's play things.
So, they tell you that the first casualty in any mission is the plan you were thinking of using in said mission. Well, THAT turned out to be true. No sooner had the trio of NCs - Id, Grand Sword Star, and Sahaquiel reached the beach than Phoenix Inferno-with-tail made its debut onto the scene. Terra knew that this whole ordeal wasn't going to be easy, but it was just damn frustrating to find a heavy adversary right off the bat. There was no way to avoid this one. It seemed to have them in mind...
"Hisako, I don't suppose you happen to know who they would put into that mech, now that Alexander is in a cage, do you?"
"No idea, sorry. I wasn't even privy to the level of information you had while still in Red-Star."
They both had weapons hot and ready for combat, but the Tailed Inferno would be making a move before them. That doesn't necessarily guarantee the same from Kxeyun, though. After all, while Alex wasn't in there and he wasn't even really their enemy, she had some history with this machine.
Sahaquiel quite literally slides into position, arms raised. She looks down the machine, squinting gently. "The pilot moves different from Alexander... Very different... They seem skilled though, best we don't do anything stupid. Sahaquiel's legs shift into a more sturdy position, keeping track of where Phoenix Inferno goes. "Keep your eyes on it, if we loose track for even a second, one of us could go down."
No sign of any units yet to arivarat the screen, Phoenix Inferno arrived to the shore well above the field of battle. After it positioned two of the transport drones for travel across opposite ends of the beach, then tore open both of the drones boxes which seny objects pouring out onto the beach. The drones proceeded to fly over their section of the beach, and as they traveled the contents spilled.
The Phoenix Inferno's optics flashed with light, and on que the objects, with their black coat and round shape, lit up with red lights. The beach was bathed in red for moment before the lights out off.
The Phoenix Inferno's tail showed signs of less movement, almost as if disappointed by the lack of response. It then opened the last remaining drone's contents and retrieved a few bandoliers from it and strewed them around it's self. It continued to soar around, looking to bait out Haven forces.
Well, this was unexpected... It hadn't picked them up yet.
"It hasn't spotted us."
"Or he's faking it to lull us into a false sense of security. It doesn't help that we don't have the strongest of long-range weaponry."
"We'll probably be detected if we move, so we're gonna have to fight, in any case."
"Very likely. Alright, I'll draw him to action. If he comes to the ground, Kxeyun, you get him. If he stays aiirborne, Hisako, try and drop him. Whatever the case, let's try and do this quickly, if at all possible. Any questions?"
Hisako had none. Kxeyun?
Kxeyun had none to speak. Sahaquiel simply stands there, watching Phoenix Inferno. "Who is piloting that thing... I haven't seen someone do that since Vulpiz painted his NC pink in the War Games... Stupid move, trained warriors wouldn't do that... No, this isn't just anyone, this is someone who lives on war. I have no questions but... I think they're more aggressive than Alexander, be careful."
The Phoenix Inferno's head swiftly jerked left and right, the NC's talons clasped and opened repeatedly. An aura of maliciousness filled the air, the suit arched back and gestured as if screaming. Soon, a sound is transmitted onto all frequency's. Over the communications was a horrendous screech. The sound was high in pitch and had a graininess to it. By far, it wasn't a pleasant sound.
Gah, that sound... It wants to pass the ears and straight into the brain. Terra attempted to filter it out so it wouldn't be as much a distraction, but if it WAS, then she would have to somehow work through it. Anyway, she had Id rocket right out into the open, towards the water like she was trying to cut past PI and lose him. Now, we would see... She was poised and ready to react to its attacks, but even still...anything could happen.
To Kxeyun, this was a very bad idea. The hand of Sahaquiel reaches up and grabs its head, whacking on it lightly a few times out of Kxeyun's instincts. She then begins filtering out the screech too. "Terra! I can't help if you get out into the water!" The machine steps forward, watching. The hands lower back down with the fins gently twitching, a sign that Kxeyun is not a happy camper.
Terra and the Id made good distance, however within proximity was one of the black spheres. There was a sudden explosion as the sphere detonated. No damage was rendered, because of the distance between the explosion. However, this was likely to stagger her and set the NC back a few meters from the sea.
The screeching subsided, as PI took notice of Terra's existence on the beach. The black ichors of it's aura spread like tendrils, as the tail perked up and started to whip about excitedly. On Terra's communications she heard a voice call out in a distorted and twisted tone, " Why hello there, ready to, well all sorts of things".
It then approached Terra at a hellish rate, acting like a crazed bat. It's speed and movement would cause pilots to pass out if not flat out die. It plummeted while firing it's ranged weapons at her with the goal of limiting movement and not striking Terra. The gap was closing fast.
Yes, that's very convincing, Kxeyun.
She thought this, not realizing that the Denver-Vegas pilot was being totally serious. The pod laid out ahead exploded, though, and Id jumped back to remain on the beach, shuddered by the proximity of the blast, but apparently not close enough to suffer any damage. The pilot of Phoenix Inferno took notice, and made a beeline for her, trying to cut off escape with his guns as he let out that taunt. Maybe he was unaware that she was the bait, or maybe he didn't care. Either way, Id's plasma rifle fired a propelled tube device from the barrel right below the main barrel as it opened fire. At the speed of his dive towards he, that would be a difficult thing to avoid, but even if he did...or even if he sailed through the blast...Terra was preparing to jet underneath him and rocket her way upwards with her free hand clawing with the Shatterfield activated. Or, to put it in another way, Shoryuken!
Meanwhile, Grand Sword Star had out its assault rifle. The group wasn't heavy on the ranged attack area of things, but it had its moments. Right now, Hisako was focused on targeting PI's drones and whatever else remote things he had deployed - if any remained - and taking them down, all while giving the enemy NC a full spectrum scan, to see how much the new Phoenix Inferno differed from the old one.
Sahaquiel stands there activating various subsystems, then finally decides to begin moving forwards to intercept Phoenix Inferno if he broke off somehow. The thrusters begin priming in case if a large jump is needed. The fins continue twitching, clacking against each other angrily. Sahaquiel wants to fight, Kxeyun feels wrong not charging forward and talking PI headon. Then again, she wants to fight Alexander. Quietly to herself, she mutters "Is it an animal? Can it even understand us?"
Taken notice of the projectile, Phoenix Inferno altered it's trajectory. It ascended while still approaching, the tail continued forward to strike the projectile to cause an early detonation. The PI's path lead it above Terra and I'd a few dozen meters. It flew erratically around Terra while completing it's objectives, more notable of the actions was the very fast strafing it made.
Phoenix Inferno then started to toss cannisters around Terra in a circle. A ring if smoke started to form around Terra. The communications opened up once more," tricky tricky, let's see how you handle this".
Well, the tail might be fucked. That was an incendiary explosive that Phoenix decided to strike. So, while the entire NC hadn't been coated in burn juice, the tail itself would probably shut down if it wasn't completely out of order already. None of this phased PI's pilot. It avoided the uppercut attack with some fast-paced movement, still airborne. When the smoke bombs dropped, Terra almost shot at them, but then a thought crossed her mind.
[i][color=red]What if they were fuel-air explosives?[/red][/i]
She could be wrong, but lost nothing by making certain. She activated her Overclock Engine and hit the ground, which of course consisted of loose beach and some content of water. Everything splattered away from her in every direction, even getting Id somewhat dirty in the process. The smoke and the devices it all came from naturally blew away, as well. Not a bit of fire involved, so nothing to cause an explosion if one were gonna happen. Id crossed its arms and looked up at PI.
[color=red]"Why don't you quit flying around and come at me like you mean it?"[color]
On cue, Hisako targeted the enemy NC's wings and engines and fired on full-auto to try and bring him do the ground. And yeah, they were the Star Impaler rounds.
Kxeyun smiles gently, watching all that's going on. She mutters, "Stupid stupid stupid... Your tail is dead now... Just like the old battle, eh?" The machine lowers back down, a foot slamming into the sand, ready to bolt. The only thing Kxeyun can do right now is watch, wait for a chance to maul Phoenix Inferno and rip out the joke of a pilot.
The Cerberus tail exited the ball of fire, the lance glew a dim white. The coating of chemicals seemed to steam off it. The tail was causing the atoms to separate, which greatly reducing the effect. However, there was burn marks on the lance showing some damage being delt. The tail shook itself for a moment, like it had been dazed.
Hisako's shots pelted PI's force field. A few shots broke through and hit a few of it's wing blades. The cost of this was it alerted it to his position. In response, Phoenix Inferno launched the effected blades at Hisako. The Phoenix Inferno used it's large claw to rip the second to the last bandolier and crushed it releasing a cloud if lead lined smoke to cover it, as it repositioned itself in the sky towards the sea.
As Phoenix Inferno engaged the enemy with supersonic speeds, Red-Star's conventional forces stirred into action behind the screen it provided; two dozen VTOL gunships were zooming to each side of Terra, Hisako, and Sahaquiel, firing a combination of lasers and railgun fire as they tried to flank and enfilade the trio.
But even that was merely cover for the waterborne drones that sped on top of the water itself, primitive but effective explosive devices meant to crash onto the shore, lighting up the beach with bursts of light and heat.
This was in turn a screen for a swimming swarm people clad in what seemed to be a power armor/diving suit hybrid, who lifted up anti-vehicle waterproofed coilguns and began firing super-accelerated rounds not of metal, but sticky incendary gel at Id and Sahaquiel, before turning around and circling away, the jetpack/minuature outboard motors on their backs allowing them accelerated speed as the fled affer firing a shot.
And after the VTOL gunships had fired two or three volleys of gunfire, they would flee as well, activating their own boosters in order to escape the wrath of the Havenites.
This was...all very unfair to Sahaquiel, let's be honest. Kxeyun just wanted to fight something and...they weren't letting her. Even the conventionals were all 'Going hot!' and then quickly 'Peace out!', and that sucked. It wasn't that they weren't fighting fair. It was just that they were barely fighting. With PI somewhat more-focused on Hisako, for the moment, Id opened fire on incoming Red-Star forces, so basically it was crowd control in the form of plasma rifle shots as Id generally zig-zagged to avoid fire.
Grand Sword Star was putting Phoenix Inferno between it and the Red-Star forces, taking pot-shots at Gunships that moved to get around the elite mech...at least until it launched some wing-blades at it. That warranted some evasive strafing while PI attempted to cover itself in lead particulates to hide its various signatures and traces from GSS's scanners. Not completely successful, but it made it difficult to see its schematic details in real-time, trace energy readings, and blocked normal visibility somewhat. She still HAD the schematics in memory now, and there was only some variation in the design. That helped to know. Also what helped was that Phoenix Inferno was sort of a floating smoke cloud now. Not exactly invisible, is it? More like somewhat indistinct. He still had to be at the center of that, and whatever emissions remained coming off of it confirmed. Terra spoke on their Haven-only frequency now.
"Hisako, this is getting irritating, and I don't irritate easily. Let's force him down, now."
"Any ideas?"
"We'll start with the tail. Follow my lead."
It happened almost immediately, Id and Grand Sword Star took off flying in a high-speed bank to round the Red-Star focus of forces. They made it look like they were just shooting down some of the riff-raff, to start with, but then Id went right for the tail with its Shatterfield hands and claws activated, to try and grab and pull, shields operating as a precaution against its energetic capabilities. Terra looked she was trying to pull and swing PI, but Hisako was suddenly coming in - sword drawn and charged - attempting to slice it off at its base and kick PI down to shore and the waiting Sahaquiel!
Despite PI seeing the maneuver being completed, the missing wing blades reduced flight capability. When both the fields meet, the Cerberus tail slipped out of grasp as the fields repelled one another. The Tail taunted the ID a little by nodding itself as to say, "no no no". The tail quickly coiled back into rest position on PI.
Hisako's slice, as a consequence, missed it's target, however PI was not able to ,or expecting, the kick. This caused PI to plummet down towards the beach. In response, PI shot both of it's shoulder mounted fusion cannons and it's ion pulse projector at the targets now in plain sight in the air. The air cracked and screamed as the energy sailed towards both Terra and Hisako. As PI made it's way down the entity spoke in crackling and unnerving voice over the communications[color=orange]" How very aggressive of you, not like the battle data...how interesting".[/color=]There was slight control of it's decent and went to land in a specific spot on the beach right at the waters edge.
When PI landed, it tucked in it's wings and prepared all weapon systems for engagement.
Kxeyun wastes no time at all, instantly running at Phoenix Inferno, shouting out "Contrary to your data on us, we're humans! We're kinda known for adapting on-site!" She seems to regard to Dark Hibiki as an animal, not human. The oversized mecha aims to barrel straight into Phoenix Inferno, going for the Ion Pulse arm, she doesn't care what he does in response. Based on her angle, it seems like she's trying to slam Phoenix Inferno into the water. "Say hello to a running fucking wall!" She seems excited, excited in battle... That doesn't make much sense, excited? Being excited makes people jump the gun, what is up with her?
It was unexpected that the tail would slip the grip because of of the two weapons' energy fields, but if they were incompatible, then it would be like a pair of magnets being pointed at each other with the same charge. They'll repel, slip past each other. Still, since the alternative was possible hand damage, we would have to decline and take our victories where we can get them. The point was to damage Phoenix Inferno and send it to the ground. Thanks to their teamwork, PI wasn't able to anticipate the kick and got thrown there anyway, right in front of Sahaquiel. The only problem there was...
"Dodge!"
...everything else. Yes, indeed, the two of them were out in the open, not only being targeted by the Red-Star forces, but by PI's fusion and ion attacks! The two of them both headed off in wide arcs to avoid taking shots from just about everything being shot at them, though neither one was worried about the lesser pelts, so much as PI's own personal attacks. The two of them split up and acted separately, once more. With Hisako working the crowd control for the time being - suppression-fire to prevent the masses from launching their attacks in too heavily. Terra was now on overwatch for the fight with Sahaquiel. At the instant that PI attempted to go airborne, Id was prepared to drop down and turn its wings and engines into shrapnel!
Phoenix Inferno, now much more aware of the situation, saw the head on charge from Kxeyun's and launched a few electrified nets towards her right. While PI side stepped to it's left, intending to lead her just a bit.
During that moment, the water behind Phoenix Inferno became turbulent. What breached through the water was a large mace being charged forward towards Kxeyun. The massive weapon obscured what was moving it, as it was seemingly accelerated towards her.
Once above the water, the Titan Breaker ignited It's back booster for added acceleration. Over the communications was just a maniacal laughing coming from PI.
Suddenly, the Viper Thrusters fire, redirecting Sahaquiel left, right at PI. The arms quickly lift to try and swat off if a net is about to hit her, the other arm lurching to impale PI in the big, overly deadly and lopsided arm, with shield piercers active. "Takes a bit more than that to stop me!" Her expression in the mech turns from a smile, to a grin. Terra, can notice a shift in her movements, they seem more determined and well placed than just before... The frontal lights are also dimming slightly, but for what reason?
For the moment, we're just calling Hisako occupied. Terra, on the other hand, was hanging in the air - dodging the occasional stray shot from the sea - waiting for something to do. She had relegated herself to supporting Sahaquiel in case of fast one's pulled, and...well...there was a fast one! Specifically, a NEW Neural Combatant had snuck into the area to pop up and try to double-team Kxeyun! We can't have that. In flies the Id mech, with Nova Accelerators firing. Titan Breaker probably got some sort of proximity alert for that...since there was this red streak coming in at high-speed, on an intercept course to shred its engine drive system to pieces AND kick the legs out from under it, in passing! That would seriously throw the mech around like crazy if it worked.
The electrified net was cleaved away, as Kxeyun made her strike. The PI tried to dodge, but the blade penetrated through the cockpit at such an angle where it didn't go through the suit itself. Once she had made her blow, the PI moved to grasp the enemies arm and hold it in place. The tail attempted to wrap the legs as well.
The distorted voice continues on all channels, "Now Hibiki, make your first true kill!" The Titan Breaker swung at Kxeyun with the 3 1/2 ton God Crusher. Terra's actions were not unnoticed, as one of the turreted fusion Cannons fired in her flight path . The shot meaning to threaten damage on Id if her path didn't divert away from TB.
The massive hammer did not go unseen either, Kxeyun panics, she's about to die. But then, that's when shit hits the fan. Rather quickly, the head casing retracts, revealing the mouth and pseudo-eyes underneath. The machine promptly issues a roar, firing the Viper Thrusters again, but in a pattern that sends them into a carefully controlled spin towards the right. The arms lift, sending Phoenix Inferno hopefully towards the unstoppable hammer!
Terra DID stop, but not simply because PI fired at her. For one split-second, she was gonna turn and tackle him, instead. He'd said Hibiki, and that drew a familiar chord in her mind. But then, she really had to get back because Kxeyun sent the NC and it's firing fusion cannon into a spin. Had to get above it and-
"Hibiki, get back!"
-bring Id down on the head of Phoenix Inferno with a kick that could either damage the head or accidentally send those two both flying, whatever happened! It might even catch her into the mix, for all she knew. Chaos knew no bounds, no rules. She just wanted to do something about this quickly and settle this now!
The God Crusher swung, it struck the side of the PI and destroyed it's left fusion cannon and possibly it's arm. However, it also struck the Sahaquiel in it's right shoulder crushing it. The force sent the pair careening over the sea toppling and spinning over the water.
An enraged entity filled the communications,"Hibiki! You dam idiot, that's the last time I trust you! The world will always hate you!"Those final words were the key to freeing Hibiki from the clause, however the Titan Breaker's cockpit opened up and the NC reached inside.
A young man was then flung onto the beach by the Titan Breaker's hand. They NC's Eyes then lit up red. Once that happened, the perturbed PI takes it's clawed right hand and activated it, reaching to grab the remaining left arm of the entangled enemy NC to destroy it.
"Not again!" a rather gender-neutral voice shouts out from Sahaquiel, however it can be identified as Kxeyun's voice with a voice filter. The NC's left arm tries yanking away, the head lurching down to try and bite the actual arm itself instead of the firing module, trying to sever the arm itself! "I WILL NOT HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN!" The NC's legs quickly raise up and kicks at PI with all the force it can, either Sahaquiel jumps or PI gets launched.
So, Id missed, due to...well...the chaos, and landed on its feet where they'd previously been standing, not far from Titan-Breaker. It was truly an impressive machine to do some of the work for them, despite the harm done to Sahaquiel. However, whoever was controlling PI must have also a remote uplink to TB, as well, because...
Hibiki...
...it suddenly flung out its own pilot! Oh hell... It was an automated killing machine now, and if whoever was in charge was anything like Osamu, it'd run fairly well. However, Terra was - at the moment - properly angry. As a child, she'd tried to help Hibiki, and now he was trash on the ground. If there was any delay in initialization between remote access and action, Terra was using it to Overlock her claws again, and put a shatter-pulse against the Titan-Breaker! Like the wall of the base she initially came from it shouldn't be able to take this attack so well!
Phoenix Inferno considered the possible outcomes and settled. The Cerberus tail attempted to lance the the left legs knee.
To ensure that the tail landed it's blow, PI allowed Sahaquiel to bite down on the right arm. However, it overloaded the arm causing it to backfire in the enemy NC's mouth. After, PI quickly disengaged and deployed it's wings. PI plunged itself into the depths.
Titan Breaker, well aware of the incoming danger, began to sprint like Mercury as the thruster assisted. untill it found a spot it liked, and poised it self for the oncoming assult.
It was then that Osamu finally intervened, first by sending another flight of VTOL Gunships and Waterborne Exploding Drones... Then suddenly, the already-wounded Sahaquiel would freeze.
Titan-Breaker was built for assault and taking offense. And to its credit - although Terra did not know this right off - it had flake-away armor that reduces energy damage. Well, best use for it. Since it backed away and tried to take the attack with the best-footing possible, the shatter-pulse would be spot-on. It's not a long-ranged attack or could even project far from the hand-weapons of Id at all. Id's a melee-focused mech with speed and modular weapon use. TB was blasted with heavy sonic force from Id's briefly-overclocked core. The energy would put it under extreme stress and its anti-energy armor would be spent. The exact nature of its actual damages would be...hard to predict. They'd exist, but how much there'd be depends on its tanky nature. Terra would have done some kind of follow-through, but then everything seemed to go to hell as a glut of gunships and such arrived.
"Terra, I can't hold position! I'm getting swarmed and Kxeyun's stopped moving!"
"Take over here! I have to do something dangerous..."
So now, Id would suddenly back away from TB, and bugger off! This was riight in tune with Grand Sword Star descending upon it with sword drawn, having plowed and slashed through gunships to get right in the way, clashing powered blade with deadly hammer if necessary!
Terra was now acting according to plan...mostly. You see...there'd been a conversation prior to this, in which Kxeyun agreed that if Osamu were to try and take Sahaquiel, Terra should come in and do something about that. Id moved in to scoop Hibiki up, for his own safety, and moved to Sahaquiel. Id's communication wired snapped out onto the beast mech and offered an Enter command for the cockpit hatch. Kxeyun had cleared her for that prior, because of the trust she placed in Terra. Placing Hibiki inside, she got properly engaged...
A cloud of dust was blown away, so fast as to be unnatural. The sound of a meta-material knife being drawn, and then stabbed into Id's back.
Mako Shintai had struck again, having used Titan Breaker's engagement with Grand Sword Star to get at Terra's Mech!
Once the blast subsided, the God Crusher mace was fuming from the blast, and the Titan Breaker's head fins that stuck out were scorched off. When TB lowered it's mace, it saw that I'd had withdrawn. As if following orders from an unknown source, TB delved back into the sea. Off in the distance, PI could be seen returning to the hanger.
With a sudden utterance of "...bitch.", Id's engines, energy shield, and a swift turn to swipe claws and a foot around behind it engaged, pretty much all at once, leaving the mech to land funny, regardless of any contact or not. All Terra had gotten was the idea that Mako was gonna stab her mech in the back, and she just reacted.
"I know you're there, Mako. Leave now. The way I am right now, I won't even hesitate."
