Gundam Build Divers: Rise of the Crimson Seraphs
Chapter 3: Upon Wings of Steel
"Well that's a great dream but maybe we should complete our tutorial first?" Vincent questioned as his friend blushed in embarrassment. Despite knowing his friend was correct it was obvious both of them were excited, considering it was their first taste of Gunpla Battle Nexus Online it was pretty epic. Studying the machine in front of him the blue haired young man was surprised how little damage it showed. Admittedly the only real damage would've been to its shield but even that looked brand new.
"I'm confused if he's been in a lot of fights how come the machine looks brand new?" Xepher questioned feeling a little concerned about saying the words out loud. Assuming things were remotely similar to real life it should have at least some visible damage, and if things were different he needed to understand it.
"Good question young man the simple answer is machines don't take damage in GBN, even so you need to be careful. A machine's performance is based on its build in real life, but outside of assembling the model incorrectly GBN doesn't allow for models to be ruined." Mercucio explained as he walked up smiling,knowing that even a new player could notice such things reminded the captain why he liked playing the game. Battling opponents was pretty cool but it was the spark in a new players eyes which kept him going, if he didn't nurture that curiosity it was a least in his mind sort of his fault if they quit playing.
"So we could build anything we desire so long as it fits together properly?" Vincent questioned as the veteran player nodded that he was correct. Grinning as he noticed the spark in their eyes he was curious to see what they'd create, every builder hit snags along the way but it usually helped them get better.
"Right but keep in mind it still functions like a machine, as such you need to think about what parts best serve the role you intend on playing." Mercucio explained as both players nodded frantically, even if they messed up having fun was more important.
"Remember that one guy who stuck a Reborns Gundam backpack onto a BCUE, the machine kept falling over because it was laughably top heavy." Sarenthia exclaimed as they both started laughing, even though neither player had seen it the idea alone sounded utterly ridiculous. Clearly the machine in question didn't function very well, more importantly it highlighted the captains point. Building your custom machine needed to be a practical endeavor, slapping pieces together just for looks wasn't going to cut it.
"We should probably get back to our lessons, this was a very helpful experience thank you so very much." Xepher explained as the young woman next to him smiled, after seeing the captain of the highest ranked force he was eager to get started.
"I'm usually pretty busy but if you ever need help or a refresher of basic rules let me or sis know, just keep in mind it could take a little while before I respond." Mercucio explained as he and the young woman opened their command screens, clicking an envelope symbol it popped up on the new player's screens with a loud ding.
Even if the guy was busy just having the captain on their friends list was pretty cool.
"Alright you two follow me." Sarenthia explained as she clicked on two different buttons, following her example they both clicked it as well. Moments later they were inside a different hanger, walking up to her machine the young woman smiled. Giving them a second to marvel at their chosen Gunpla she couldn't help laughing when they whistled, compared to her brother's machine it wasn't that impressive but it was everything they'd dreamed about in high-school.
"Why am I not surprised you chose the Astray Red Frame?" Xepher exclaimed as he looked over his friend's machine. During their high-school years he'd been obsessed with it, sure there were better options now but that machine fit him best. Back then Xepher had been oblivious to any Gundam outside of Seed, even if some people online didn't care for it the series would always have a special place in the young man's heart.
"Says the guy who picked a mobile suit most people don't even know exists." Vincent teased back as they laughed. Both of them remembered it was the exact wording he'd used when the young man had first shown off the model, models had come a long way since then and it was actually quite well known nowadays.
Despite giving each other a hard time it was exactly what they imagined one another would chose, both of them loved Gundam but in very different ways. Xepher had dedicated a great deal of time and money into acquiring and building his favorite models, meanwhile his best friend loved it but was a little more reserved when it came to building such models.
"Choosing the right mobile suit is a different process for everyone, some people go for combat abilities while others choose style. Whatever your reasoning you should always choose a model which speaks to you, but right now let's focus on piloting these beauties shall we?" Sarenthia questioned as both men stared at her in thoughtful consideration. Most people assumed this was just a kid's game but they were mistaken, anyone who put time and effort into their model could enjoy this game.
"When did you start playing, and since you gave us that little gem what was your first machine?" Xepher questioned asking the first question himself then letting his friend swoop in for the second part. Blushing at his question she opened a new command but her finger stopped just above it, after what felt like an eternity she clicked it and her first model appeared. Standing before them was a beautiful Strike Freedom thought it had one glaring feature, instead of its usual coloring this one was painted black and red.
"Somebody really liked edgy colors." Vincent laughed before his friend Gibbs smacked him as they called it, groaning a little the more experienced friend sighed. Despite having grown out of it both of them had gone through a similar phase, as such making fun of another person seemed a bit tasteless.
"I was in the middle of a goth phase." Sarenthia replied her already crimson face getting even redder. Both of them looked at her as if she was crazy, much as she wanted to deny it that part of her life seemed crazy to her as well. She'd worked really hard to get past it and now she enjoyed little things better, after several minutes the girl opened her command list. Clicking the button marked sortie it caused her to disappear, following her example both men clicked it as well. Moments later they were both inside their respective machines, staring down at the cockpit beneath him the newer player couldn't help laughing.
"Dude it's exactly what I thought a Gundam cockpit would resemble." Xepher managed to get out before new alerts popped up on his main camera. Clicking it the camera shifted to reveal their hangar, letting his eyes drift to the upper left of his screen the woman set there grinning.
"Don't get distracted by the pretty lights boys, if you wanna become Ace pilots you'll need to focus." Sarenthia explained smiling before pushing her left control joystick forward which made her Gunpla start moving, smiling as her old unit moved forward it brought up old memories. Last time she'd piloted it was years ago, she'd almost forgotten just how clunky the unit was in both movement and if she remembered correctly battle.
"Okay guys listen carefully after you've walked over to this catapult you'll be shot into the mission, since this is your first time we picked an easy one right boss?" Sarenthia explained as the image changed to show a rather powerful looking tiger guy, according to his player info he was about seven levels higher. Giving her a slight nod the guy looked at both of the new players, he'd seen the dark haired guy before although it was only in passing. Blue hair meanwhile was completely new which made the veteran player even more excited, watching new players undertake their first mission always brought a smile to his face.
"I've told you not to call me that, even so good luck on your hunt." Tiger guy explained as the young woman gave a thumbs up, maybe it was just his imagination but they seemed a bit nervous. Stepping onto the catapult the young woman smiled, seconds later it made a loud clanking noise.
"Midnight Freedom launching." Sarenthia yelled loud enough to ensure both players heard it. Watching as her machine shot forward its wings opened, soaring high into the sky it almost resembled a bird. After it had flown around it stopped in mid air, gesturing for them to join her the new players both smiled. Grabbing his left joystick the younger friend stepped onto the catapult, after making sure everything was aligned correctly he going into the ready position.
"Astray Red Frame launching...wait a second this unit can't fly." Vincent yelled as his machine rushed forward, both of the other players realized a bit too late what he'd been saying. Watching as the machine plummeted downward he silently prayed its thrusters were operational, seconds before he touched solid ground he slammed the left control stick upwards. Grateful that its small thrusters worked he slowly touched down giving his fellow pilots a thumbs up they both sighed in relief.
"Dude how could you forget the Astray Red Frame couldn't fly without a separate attachment." Xepher questioned as he began rethinking piloting such a machine, ever since he was a kid the young man had been terrified of heights. Okay so it wasn't really flying but it was real enough to worry him, grabbing at the left joystick he noticed both hands were shaking. Stepping onto the catapult he could feel his pulse quickening, whether it was from nerves or excitement he couldn't say but he'd come this far.
"Actually in GBN that doesn't matter, unless your machine was built solely for ground combat thrusters are good enough." Sarenthia explained as both men exhaled in relief, chuckling at how nervous they seemed it was actually pretty common. Gripping his left joystick the dark haired young man slowly pushed it forward, grinning as his machine rose into the air it was pretty comedic. Admittedly the mobile suit in question wasn't built for aerial combat but this system was more new user friendly, it was important to give even people that weren't huge fans of the show an memorable Gundam experience without being too focused on realism.
"Gundam Delta Kai launching." Xepher shouted as the catapult launched his machine, watching as the room flew past him it was scary yet exciting. Seconds after launching he was soaring in the sky, it was still a little scary because of the perceived height but that only made it even cooler. After gathering his composure the young man began flying up and down, when he'd figured that out he started practicing left and right.
"Seems you've gotten the basics down, in that case lets move onto combat lessons shall we?" Sarenthia questioned as both men started nodded eagerly. Grabbing her joysticks she pushed both of them forward, watching as the machine began flying at max power she was grinning in excitement. Mirroring her actions the other airborne pilot moved both control sticks forward, before long the inexperienced players was following close behind.
"Alright let's get this party started." Xepher shouted as they both rushed after her, when they'd gotten close enough she began her descent. When they'd both caught up with her they stopped although it was a little rough, opening a control screen the girl clicked on a brand new command. Seconds later a group of silver machines that didn't resemble anything he'd seen before popped up, grinning when he realized they were his new sparring opponents he could feel the same rush of adrenaline he'd felt watching the captain. Grabbing at both control sticks the pilots braced themselves for battle, even if they were training dummies both of them were excited to see what their machines could do.
"Okay these are pretty basic enemies but lets go over controls just to be safe, the left joystick is for movement so as you may have guessed the right one is for selecting weapons and aiming." Sarenthia explained as the young woman gripped it, clicking a red button on the side the most experienced pilot of their group selected a beam saber and clicked the same red button. Moments later the beam saber appeared in her mobile suits right hand, rushing forward she moved the control stick up then down which caused her to unleash a vertical strike.
"Dude that's so freaking cool." Xepher shouted making the young woman grin, even if she instructed a hundred new players that reaction never got old. Grabbing her left joystick she pushed it forwards and then right, when her thrusters lit up both of them knew something was up. Climbing into the sky just a little she moved over to a nearby cliff before setting down, looking down at their mobile suits the girl felt like a proud instructor.
"Okay you guys are up but remember it's about having fun." She explained as they both nodded in agreement.
Grabbing his right joystick the Astray Red Frame's pilot selected its trademark weapon and clicked the button, watching as the katana materialized in his right hand the young man smiled. James had always loved those weapons and maintained that even if somewhat brittle they were magnificent, lunging at the enemy dummy he sliced it horizontally before chuckling. Gloating didn't really suit him but in this case even he couldn't resist, it just felt so cool piloting the machine he'd always loved. Suddenly an alert popped up on his machine warning him of an incoming blast, moving with an impressive amount of purpose he raised the right joystick which caused his shield to protect him.
Reaching out and grabbing his own joystick the newer player scrolled through his options, smiling when it landed on his selection the piloted clicked it and waited. Watching as the dual funnels on his back launched off it was enough to make him chuckle, circling around his friend's would be attacker it unleashed several blasts of energy. Seconds later the enemy machine exploded and the funnels returned onto his machine's backpack, even though it was a pretty standard feature of mobile suits he'd always wondered if using those weapons felt cool and the answer was a resounding yes.
Grinning as she watched both of her students fighting the young woman couldn't help feeling a sense of pride, even though she'd instructed others as well it still felt great. Scrolling through options on her command list the woman pressed her finger against the highest option, three more opponents materialized but unlike last time she wasn't going to destroy one for them. Unsheathing his katana the Red Frame lunged at the opponent but then flipped over it and landed behind it, giving a shooting gesture it looked back just in time for a well placed shot to crash against it.
Experienced players like herself and the captain understood the importance of teamwork but it was a little surprising to witness new players syncing their attacks. Being family or even childhood friends didn't guarantee you'd work together effectively, unless you knew your partner fairly well it was difficult predicting how they'd fight. Seconds later they'd dispatched all enemies and were looking fairly confident, usually she didn't move onto challenging opponents until the second day but it would make for an interesting test.
"Okay let's see how you do against opponents that aren't quite so passive?" Sarenthia questioned to herself genuinely curious to see just how they'd preform, clicking the button again she chose a new opponent for them.
Raising his katana the dark haired young man plunged it down into the battered dummy, glancing over at his friend's mobile suit it was pretty cool watching it in action. Despite remaining focused on the battle he knew the blue haired young man was thinking the exact same thing about his mobile suit, even if they used different methods they respected each others abilities. Maybe it was just their imagination but for a moment it seemed as if they could actually read each other's thoughts, knowing that kind of stuff only happened in the Gundam series and not real life they both quickly dismissed it as impossible.
"Watch out more training dummies incoming." Xepher explained as the katana wielding mobile suit jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding the enemy's blast it was a lot closer than any dummy so far. Seconds later he noticed something wasn't right because he couldn't see any opponent, gazing at their surroundings he realized there was something different about the nearby forest. Moments early it had seemed like terrain but now it felt different, grabbing his left control stick he jerked it forward making a beeline for the nearby trees.
Before he could even reach the nearest one several more blasts rang out in near perfect harmony, jerking the control stick he narrowly avoided the blasts. Retreating to a safer distance he could swear that he'd seen a much lighter green color blending in with the forest, even if they were hiding inside said forest the gray dummies should have been fairly obvious. Scuffling into position beside his friend the blue haired pilot waited for movement, normally he liked rushing into battle guns firing but right now it was going to require a more subtle approach.
"Dude what are those?" Vincent questioned as his best friend silent cursed their luck, upon first inspection they resembled common grunt units but in large numbers even those could be dangerous. Maybe it was because he'd only been expecting training dummies but right now it felt like a wave passing over him, if they didn't start paddling and quickly it might sweep them away. Okay so maybe that wasn't his best metaphor but it was still accurate, deciding it was better if he focused on the problem in front of him the young man switched to his beam saber.
"Gera Zulu from Unicorn, they were pretty much it's version of Zaku but nastier." Xepher replied as they both cringed at the idea of fighting those mobile suits, in the show machines like it were pathetic but this was different. Most of those pilots either had unique abilities or pilots with semi decent experience, since it was only their first mission they had neither. Glancing over at his friend's mobile suit it nodded giving him point, even with his knowledge of the machines it was going to be difficult.
Sighing as the young woman continued watching her students the Tiger guy couldn't help feeling a little unpleasant, the girl was despite normally being a pretty generous person knowing to sometimes have moments of anger issues. Most people believed it was left over from her Goth phase but it was something completely different, she believed that people only recognized their strength when backed into a corner. Due to said belief the girl would sometimes place difficult machines in front of experience pilots in hopes of making them improve, this was different as she'd never really done that in a practice mission. Assuming they couldn't deal with it themselves he would be forced to step in, nothing about this felt right but for now he'd let it play out and see how they reacted.
Xepher was already formulating several plans in his own mind when the first unit stepped forward, watching as it pulled out a beam tomahawk it was exactly what he'd expected. Giving his friend a thumbs up his machine rushed forward katana in hand, when it got close enough he pulled out a different weapon. Knowing he was only getting one shot at this he raised it just high enough to focus on a tree behind it. Squeezing his trigger its beam rifle fired causing him to recoil a little, he'd been expecting that it would cause some blow back though it was more than he'd anticipated. Watching as his friend's mobile suit sidestepped the blast it eventually crashed into a tree, giving a small fist pump when it toppled over crushing his enemy it was pretty clear they were still just grunt mobile suits.
Unfortunately his attack while effective only reduced their numbers by about two units, this left another four standing and it was beginning to look pretty bleak. Before he could react the one closest to his friend sprung into action, catching him off guard it fired several blasts which crashed against his mobile suit. Rushing in the young man questioned if they could still win, as he got closer the machines unleashed a salvo on him. Groaning as it crashed into his own mobile suit the young man staggered backwards, when he looked back up the machine at the rear was holding something really nasty.
"Wait a minute the double bazooka isn't standard equipment for that mobile suit." Xepher grumbled as the machine raised its giant weapon. Moments later it was ready to fire and was just about to do so when a loud explosion shook the forest, when the dust finally cleared there was a very impressive looking mobile suit in front of them.
Dark blue with red outlines it was something he'd never even dreamed was possible, rushing forward it stretch out powerful looking arms grabbing the nearest machine. Squeezing the machine it crushed down on it squeezing the machine like a grape, when it exploded the powerful machine looked over at their allies. Raising their beam rifles they fired several blasts only for their enemy's machine to dash in between the shots, closing the distance in a matter of seconds it pulled out a twin beam trident and sliced clean through another unit.
"Impressive tactics for beginners even so let a pro show you how its done." A gruff voice explained as they looked at his mobile suit in full glory, based on what he could make out it appeared to be a modified version of the Dragon Gundam from G Gundam. Outfitted with the dragon's fangs and tridents of the Altron Gundam from Endless Waltz the machine resembled ancient Chinese warriors, lunging back into the fray it launched an impressive attack on the enemy catching it off guard. Ripping its shield away with one claw it struck at the machines unprotected side, pulling with all its might the Dragon Gundam ripped it apart. Growling as he tossed a now broken mobile suit at their feet it was pretty clear the pilot wasn't in a very good mood, shifting his attention onto them both pilots silently prayed that his frustration wasn't directed at them before he started advancing on them.