Interlude 7-1 (e) - Friday Frenzy
"Been a while since we last did this."
"That we did."
The hangar was generally quiet, save for the shuffling of its sole mechanic as he detached charging cables and controlled mechanical arms of the berths. His gray eyes looked over his shoulder, at the blank-faced duo that were his friends, and he gave a quiet huff of annoyance.
"Can't do this by myself, you know." Davion grumbled as he stepped away from the Red Frame, the Tactical Arms II folding into its Flight Form.
The blonde snorted, practically sucking a vitamin jelly pack dry before pulling out another one from his suit jacket. "You're the mechanic here, I wouldn't dare mess with a delicate process such as this."
"It's literally just removing the cables, prick, there's no harm to it."
With a sigh, the dark haired boy next to him pushed himself off the table and set his mug of coffee aside. "Don't mind him, he's been making plans since he woke up an hour ago. He's been snippy ever since."
Ephraim grumbled as he set the two vitamin jelly packs aside. "We're working on outdated intel, I've got to plan for the unexpected."
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the unexpected being, y'know, 'unexpected'?"
Royal purple sparked as they glared into deadpan gray.
"Shut up. For all we know, there might be another Gospel unit flying alongside Silver, hell, maybe two!"
"Don't jinx us." Ryo hissed as he hopped into the Red Frame, his voice becoming muffled as the suit closed around him. Sea-green optics flashed online as the upgraded Astray took its first step out of its berth. "Murphy's Law always kicks in when someone says that."
Pushing himself off from leaning against a metal work table, the blonde rolled his eyes as he stepped closer to his suit. Detaching the charging and data cables, he pressed a hand on the chestplate of the Gold Frame.
"Murphy's Law exists everywhere. It was back where we came from, it's present here, and it'll probably still be in effect wherever we go next." Ephraim grumbled as his Astray opened up, quickly hopping inside and letting the pilot suit materialize once he was closed in. Before his eyes, HUD elements began initializing, and with those same eyes, he maneuvered through the startup sequence.
Davion pursed his lips as he opened the Blue Frame, putting a leg in and grasping the torso's sides as he looked at the others. "Back to the topic of plans, thought of anything?"
Blue optics flashed online as the Gold Frame stepped out of its berth.
"Nothing fully solid just yet." The lustrous Astray lifted its hands to check their new responsiveness. "I studied maps of the resort and the areas around it via the internet, but in order for me to get a full grasp of the terrain, I need to see it for myself."
Climbing in, the mechanic sighed as his pilot suit wrapped around himself. "So bunk, huh?"
The Red Frame crossed its arms as it turned around to look at them. "But what do you have that's feasible? Preferably, concerning our teamwork in beating it?"
"Oh, don't worry."
A blue monoeye lit up on the forehead of the Gold Frame's head.
"I've been planning for such a thing ever since we woke up here."
.
.
.
Word had quickly spread of the exhibition match between IS Representative Candidates and the Astray trio, either due to Rin's boasting or the hyperactive gossip circles that were plentiful in the Academy. Pretty much the entire student body had pressured their teachers for a chance to watch the spectacle, and thus resulted in a packed Arena 6.
From Class 1-1 to Class 3-4, pilots and non-pilots of various skills attended and lined the bleachers, their curiosity clear in their voices as they gossiped and murmured.
This was something that Alektra was far too used to in her 3 years of being in the IS Academy. All the eyes of prospective leaders and popular figures were on you once you stepped into the arena, and every move you did was going to be picked apart either to find out any weaknesses or for any blackmail material.
The 3rd year idly fiddled with the silver ring on her left hand's middle finger, her purple eyes looking at the orange gem inlaid within the jewelry. She felt her bond with the Raziya, she felt the IS thrum in anticipation at the upcoming battles.
"Patience, Raziya." Alektra muttered, glancing around at her fellow classmates who had expectant looks as they waited for the event to start. "Just two more weeks and we'll be back home, where we can let loose once again…"
"Welcome ladies, to today's exhibition matches! Yes, it is I, your beloved Student Council President hosting this event, the lovely Tatenashi Sarashiki~!"
"Oh, God, why her..?"
Davion only laughed as he clapped his friend's shoulder, amused at the sudden turn of events. Ryo's face was set in a faint grimace, distant memories of a nonsensical play flashing through his mind as the 'host' continued to speak.
"Nee-san…" Kanzashi shook her head, shoulders slumping as she stared at the holographic screen.
Charlotte looked up from her last-minute weapons maintenance, letting the Garm rifle dissipate back into its bus slot.
"Ugh, a host…" Rin grimaced as she leaned against the inactive form of the Shenlong. "She better not spoil any surprise attacks…"
Laura merely grunted, too busy trying to get a feel of her Schwarzer Regen. It's been a week of no contact, and she didn't want to have complications mid-battle.
"For today's matches, we'll be starting off strong!"
It was obvious that he was nervous.
The shaking hands, the deep breaths, and the slackened shoulders were all clear signs.
Houki didn't like it.
Grasping her partner by his shoulder, the swordswoman spun Ichika around so she could look into his eyes.
"Hey, calm down, okay?" She reassured him, her tone firm but understanding of his plight. "Follow the plan and we'll have this in the bag."
"Practitioners of the sword, these two have constantly trained ever since the school year started!"
The Byakushiki pilot took one more deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out. "Right. The plan…"
Frowning, Houki stepped closer to her inactive Uchigane, leaning against the leg unit as she looked at the holographic screens that popped up around them. "I go for that golden eyesore while you preoccupy Alcott-san. I've studied Sahaku-san's fighting style over the last few weeks but I doubt he knows mine."
Ichika nodded as he fiddled with the closed form of his IS. He glanced at his partner as she climbed into her suit, brows slightly furrowing at the way she referred to Ephraim. While he understood some competitiveness was healthy enough to push the other into improving, it was…obvious that what she had was not related to it at all.
He really needed to have a proper talk with her about his friends…
"First off, we have the winner of the National Kendo Tournament last year, the deadly sword maiden, Houki Shinonono! While clad in only an Uchigane, she's like a tiger in her ferocity!"
"Move, Ichika!" Houki snarled as the Uchigane formed around her. Her katana was in its grasp not a second too late as she stepped up to the catapult.
"Houki Shinonono, Uchigane: Launching!"
"Hey, wait-!"
Woosh!
And so the Uchigane rocketed down the ramp, before rocketing up into the air as the launch platform propelled it forth. The cheers came after, deafening as they were, and his protests died at the tip of his tongue.
"Damn it!" The male pilot grumbled as the Byakushiki formed around him.
"And her partner! The illustrious, the handsome, the sole male pilot of the Infinite Stratos!"
Rolling his eyes, he stepped up to the launch platform.
"The one! The only-!"
"Ichika Orimura, Byakushiki: Launching!"
"Hmph."
Tatenashi looked away from the window at the bemused teacher, raising a brow as a mischievous smile graced her lips.
"Something wrong, Orimura-sensei?" She asked nonchalantly, muting her mic as the others in the control booth did their work. They had to triple-check everything, as the Arena itself was practically packed due to the attendance of almost every student on the island.
Chifuyu narrowed her eyes as the Byakushiki rocketed out of its launch bay and joined its partner in the sky, catching the nervous tic of her brother as he clenched and unclenched his right fist.
"Nothing." The teacher muttered as she looked over to where her assistant's launch bay was.
"Carry on."
The bluenette grinned as she unmuted her mic.
"And so Orimura-san and Shinonono-san take to the skies! What of their opponents, you ask? Well, they're no slouches themselves!"
A hand on her shoulder almost caused her to jump.
"Calm down, Cecilia." His voice was soothing, so comforting to hear, as the jitters in her hands faded away. "We've nothing to fear."
They were in their assigned Launch Bay, waiting for the green light to sortie as they listened to Tatenashi. A few holographic screens displayed the crowd as they cheered and roared, the collective noise almost shaking the entire structure.
"You have nothing to fear, perhaps, but I do…" She whispered as she lowered her head, ashamed at admitting such thoughts to her partner. "I've lost every fight I've been in since last week. I-"
"They are of noble birth, these rising stars of the 1st year batch, ever holding themselves up to higher and higher standards!"
Royal purple narrowed as Ephraim stepped in front of her, his other hand resting on her other shoulder as they squeezed them reassuringly. He was clad in his black and purple pilot suit, her eyes curiously glancing at the newest addition of a helmet that was attached to the suit's nape.
"And are you going to let some measly losses weigh you down? Would you let a couple of losses dissuade you from further victories? I thought that you were Cecilia Alcott, the proud Head of House Alcott and a woman of will and drive."
'..!'
"The first of our beatific blondes is one well known amongst our circles! After all, she is one of the UK's Representative Candidates, and the test pilot of one of the new 3rd Gens!"
The noblewoman raised her head slowly and fixed a determined glare at the smirking blonde before her. Wrapping her hands around his wrists, she slowly pushed them off her shoulders but did not let them go just yet.
"How unfair of you, you scoundrel, to use my own words against me." She scolded him without much heat, and her lips betrayed her words by curling upwards. "But I thank you for reminding me that I am not so meek to take those hits lying down."
The smirk of the taller blonde turned into a small grin. "Good. Wallowing in self-pity is unbecoming of someone of your beauty."
Her cheeks burned and she beat a hasty retreat, stepping on the launch pad as her IS materialized itself around her.
"Flatterer…" She grumbled despite her grin, the Blue Pierce appearing in her hand as she ran the launch sequence.
"Let's give it up for the brilliant and the bodacious-!"
"Cecilia Alcott, Blue Tears: Launching!"
And off she went, rocketing down the ramp before kicking off the pad and soaring into the air.
"So it begins…" The purple-eyed blonde briefly grinned as he put the helmet on, which had similar coloration of black, purple, and yellow. He pressed a hidden button just underneath the right edge of the chin and the visor slid down, briefly flashing with geometric shapes of what seemed to be HUD elements.
"And her partner! One of the test pilots of the Professor's newest project, one of the test pilots that risked their own lives to save ours!"
"Quite hammy…" Ephraim drawled with a grimace. The screens displayed their profiles side-by-side, as well as a live feed of the arena proper. He could see his classmates among the bleachers, cheering for them and waving banners that…
'How the hell did they get banners and flaglets of them so fast?!'
"So let's give a round of applause for-!"
With a click of his tongue, he stepped up to the launch pad just as white-gold motes surrounded him. Sparks of electricity magnetized the Astray's feet as he ran some last-minute checks of the suit's systems.
'Battery level is at full, ammo is full, colloid levels are at maximum…' He glanced at the gray coloration of his new armor before grinning.
"Ephraim Sahaku, Gundam Astray Perfect Gold Frame: Launching!"
'Perfect Gold Frame?' Was the collective thought of a majority of the onlookers. Their eyes widened once the gray-gold blur stopped beside the Blue Tears, taking in the upgraded form of the golden Astray with surprise and awe.
For one, its white armor was gone, instead having been replaced with a gray metal. It covered more of its legs and arms, but kept the chestplate. The flat, box-like pauldrons were replaced with rounded and pointed versions, which had what seemed like verniers of a sort. The arms were a bit more covered this time, leaving less of its golden inner frame visible.
The leg armor retained its shape, but like the pauldrons, it was more smooth and aerodynamic. Previously flat feet were now replaced with heels of all things, with the toes ending in a wicked point that seemed like a weapon of its own. Two fin-like protrusions at the heels jutted out at an angle, tilting up for whatever use it may have had.
The head unit had obviously changed as well, going from samurai-esque to something a bit more…menacing.
Gone was the shining V-Fin that the Astrays were well-known for, in its place instead were swept back antennae that angled up. There was now additional gray armor that formed additional cheek protection as well as a jutting chin that, combined with its new head sculpt, made it look more akin to an open beak. Its sea-green optics had been changed to a cold blue as it stared ahead at its opponents.
But the most obvious upgrade was the massive construct that was its new backpack.
With the top most of it peeking at least a foot past its new shoulders and its oddly curved bottom just stopping shy of the suit's ankle, many murmured and speculated as to what the new backpack was capable of. The twin jets of white-blue flames kept it aloft, accompanied by the iconic red particles many would identify with Ephraim.
"That's…new..?" Cecilia nearly gaped at her partner's suit, looking at all of its new features up and down with a critical eye.
"That's not all." The excited grin was obvious in Ephraim's voice as he straightened, putting one foot before the other as he spread his arms. It was a flamboyant pose, if not all the more cocky, which only served to increase the ire of the swordswoman across the arena.
"Watch this."
Hiss…
A garbled hissing noise came from the Gold Frame and many gasped as the gray armor shifted in a static-like effect. From top to bottom, the gray armor turned to black, no longer clashing with the golden metal. A few parts were colored red, breaking the monotony of black-gold, but it only added to the overall intimidation and regality of the new Astray.
"Bullshit!" Houki snarled as the Phase Shift armor fully activated, her grip on her katana tightening at the mocking pose of the Gold Frame. Her mind practically ran through a million thoughts at that moment, all circling around the idea that she was getting outshined again!
'I just can't catch a break, huh?!'
Ichika, however, had a strained smile as he gripped Yukihira, licking his lips as he narrowed his eyes at the confident Astray pilot across from them. He knew that their fight was going to be hard, and he had half a mind to switch places with Houki so that she would have an easier time dealing with an IS.
With a pitched thrum, a blue cyclopean eye lit up in the empty space in the Gold Frame's forehead, looking left and right before locking on to Ichika with a brief flash.
"Ooookay, that's kinda unnerving." The male IS pilot muttered as he steeled his expression, his sharp brown staring right into the cold blues of the Astray.
"Oh my my my~! That is indeed quite an upgrade! But would it be enough to topple our two determined sword users?!"
The crowd roared their answer, with it being lost amidst the cacophony of noise. But the intent was there, and it caused the two teams to prepare for the inevitable battle.
〈Cecilia, do you trust me?〉
The noblewoman nearly jolted as Ephraim suddenly spoke up right into her ear. Turning-
〈Don't move your head.〉 He all but demanded, his tone sharp as the countdown began in the background. 〈I'm using a private communication line, I don't want to clue in our opponents on anything we might say. Don't try to verbally answer, just nod your head. Again, I ask you, do you trust me?〉
She nodded without hesitation.
"Remember to play nice~! Ready? FIGHT!"
Fwoom!
The Gae Bulg roared the moment it materialized, sending its 20mm supersonic payload towards the Uchigane-
Slash!
-who sliced it in half before charging ahead with a wordless roar.
With a short bark of laughter, the Gold Frame cut its engines and allowed itself to fall, just barely dodging the wild swipe of the angered swordswoman. With a frustrated growl, she dove down after him, weaving in a zig-zag pattern to dodge any incoming shells.
Fyoom!
And off the Blue Pierce went, skimming the shields of the Byakushiki as it rolled around the beam. Ichika tensed his jaw at the confident expression on Cecilia's face before the 3rd Gen soared high into the sky with him in dogged pursuit.
"There goes the first strike by the Gold Frame! A battle on the ground and in the air, it looks like we'll have to watch carefully, girls!"
(BGM: SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - Junk Guild Theme)
The moment he landed, he had to bring out Gungnir to block the overhead strike of the Uchigane. Cold blue looked up at blazing azure as they pressed their weapons against each other, neither giving ground despite the IS' jets flaring out.
"I'm your opponent, asshole." Houki snarled, pulling away and dodging a prodding swipe from the Astray. Boosting back, she landed and readjusted her grip on her weapon, narrowing her eyes at the easy-going air around the male pilot.
"My my," Ephraim's voice was positively dripping with faux-surprise. "Why the hostility? This is an exhibition match, no?"
"Yeah, right." The brunette scoffed. "Some damn plot to show us all up, more likely!" Her katana trembled in her grip, not from fear but from rising anger. "Screw that!"
Behind the Astray's optics, the blonde narrowed his eyes. He needed to play this right…
"Can't really be helped." He huffed, glancing at the students at the bleachers who were torn between watching them or the battle in the sky. "Your sister asked for data, we had to obey."
"Sister, sister, sister…" Houki muttered, a dark look crossing her face as she raised her katana. "Professor this, professor that, what are you, her damn slave?!"
Clang!
Her body moved by instinct, her arms and hands twisting to block the swing from Gungnir. Her eyes widened as she realized what just happened, tilting her head up to glare at the looming Astray. The three optics flared, momentarily blinding her, before she suddenly felt the wind be knocked out of her courtesy of an explosive kick.
Those watching saw the thruster-aided strike, the act reminiscent of American Football, with the Uchigane being said ball. Some couldn't help but wince, others merely whistled, and a fair few cheered as the IS was sent flying high into the air.
"Oooh, and there goes Shinonono-san! As expected of a former soccer player, Sahaku-san sure does have a mean kick!"
"Football. Foot. Ball. Not soccer." The Astray pilot sighed as his backpack shifted. "Cool yourself, Ephraim. No need to blow up just yet…"
The Maga no Ikutachi claws spread open in a mimicry of wings before the Gold Frame rocketed up after the Uchigane.
"Aaaah!"
Ichika turned his head just in time to see a gray blur pass by, followed by the black and gold of the Astray.
"Houki!" He cried out, before a blue beam impacted his back, his shield energy taken a sharp dive. "Agh!"
"Eyes on your opponent!" Cecilia scolded as she lined up another shot. "This could very well be my chance to snatch the title of Class Representative from you, you know!"
"You're still on about that?!"
Fyoom!
Dodging the beam, the Byakushiki boosted forwards to close the gap but abandoned his charge when a supersonic shell brushed past his shields. Gritting his teeth, he could only curse Ephraim as he began to dodge the missiles sent by the Blue Tears.
'Damn it! Fighting ranged opponents is such a pain in the ass!' The IS pilot thought as he twirled and spun in the air to throw off the tracking ordinance, ignoring the explosions they made once they overshot him.
"Ha! I see you've learned much under Murakumo-san and Sir Sahaku!" The noblewoman praised him before her smirk turned a bit more malicious. "But you're not the only one to have learned under their guidance!"
Her Optical Bits detached from her wings, accompanied by a few more missiles as she took aim.
Ichika licked his lips as he tracked all of the incoming threats, tightening his grip on Yukihira as the thin beams began to brush past his shields. Indeed, he had learned much under the two Astray pilots, from learning how to dodge railgun rounds to proper sword fighting against a superior opponent. He had envied their sheer skill in being able to do what they were able to do, to be at the top of their game when it came to their techniques…
'Sorry, Ryo, I'm gonna have to be a copycat for this one moment…'
The world slowed down for him as he closed his eyes, letting his other senses compensate for the loss of vision. The Byakushiki eagerly fed him everything else other than visual data, and so he heard and felt everything around him.
He heard the constant clashing of Astray and IS far above him.
He heard the whining drone of the Optical Bits and the roaring engines of the missiles as they screamed towards him.
He felt the slight heat of the beams, of the remnant and distant shockwaves of sword and spear meeting.
He felt…
'Now!'
His eyes snapped open and he swung the Yukihira at the incoming beam of the Blue Pierce, the attack having been well hidden behind the blitz of Bits and missiles. The missiles themselves were merely a diversion, of course, to hide the keening whine of the rifle as it charged up, and they harmlessly shot past as the Optical Bits circled around him like a pack of wolves.
It was a good tactic, he would admit, but instinct often proved superior.
And so, when the Yukihira cleaved through the beam not unlike how a certain physical katana would, the audience's jaws collectively dropped.
"...Yo-" Davion's head whirled to his friend, an exclamation on his lips that died at the sight of his fellow pilot's expression.
"He copied me." Ryo's brows shot up in slight surprise. He wasn't really unbalanced by the fact that Ichika had mimicked one of his moves, but more on the fact that he was able to do it without prior practice. At least against beams, that is, as Ichika was able to put up a decent blade shield against bullets.
"Well…damn." The courier could really only let out, his lips curling in a slightly impressed grin. "Sloppy, incredibly so, but he made it work."
"That was so cool!" Rin yelled out, eyes shining as the others jumped at her loudness. "Damn it, now I want to fight him!"
"Wow! The Byakushiki just sliced the beam that was coming towards it like it was nothing! I— Hey, wait a minute, I've seen that form before!"
Ryo cringed.
"Nee-chan, please don't…" Kanzashi muttered, palming her face to hide her own grimace.
"Huh? Wha? Oh, the missiles! Turns out they were smoke missiles all along! Now what will the white IS do when it's lost in the smoke?"
"Didn't expect him to pull something off like that." Houki grumbled as she and the Astray pilot clashed for the nth time while they were in the air. They had seen Ichika's stunt in between their exchanges and had their own thoughts on the matter.
"He simply didn't have the chance when sparring with you." Her opponent chuckled lowly as she parried a few more thrusts of his black-gold spear. "After all, you don't have a ranged weapon for him to practice with."
"I'm not a damn sadist who gets off on watching him get hurt, unlike you, you prick!" She snarled as she, just barely, sliced another supersonic shell out of the air. "I've watched you and Murakumo hurt him plenty of times during your 'training'!"
"Pain is a great motivator to avoiding failure." Ephraim scoffed as his Igelstellungs roared and the rounds bounced against her shield, eliciting an annoyed growl as she dove down to dodge. "I thought you'd understand that."
"It's different when you idiots do it!" Came her petulant retort as she continued to dodge the bullets, which were now accompanied by 20mm shells. "You don't even have the courtesy to say sorry after each session!"
Clicking his tongue, the Gold Frame pilot stopped his ranged assault and chased after her, lowering himself to his level as he spread his arms out mockingly. "Well, it had results, does it not?"
Her glare was as frigid as ice.
"Deal with it."
And if glares could kill, he would be dead by now.
There was a small part of him that hated antagonizing Houki like this, a small part that knew that going further down this route would burn any bridges left between them.
The rest continued to goad, continued to instigate, as petty revenge against her unwarranted hostility over the months.
A darker part of him wanted to see her rage, he wanted to see her lose herself to her anger, to make mistakes that could cost her the match. He wanted to see her scream and break, to be knocked off whatever high-horse she was on to think that they owed her something.
'That's right…break…break!'
She dare get mad at them for doing nothing? When they only wanted to be amicable?
'Stupid fucking tsunderes-!'
Houki merely smirked.
'?!'
It was the only warning he had before a yell from below caused him to look down. Blue beams brushed his form as Cecilia shouted both a warning and apology, but that was not what grabbed his attention.
From the smoke and glare of the Optical Bits' beams, came the Byakushiki. Yukihira held low, Ichika gave a battle cry as he rocketed towards him at speeds that surpassed the white IS' previous records.
"Checkmate!"
And from the corner of his eye, he saw the Uchigane close in, its katana already swinging down in a downward strike.
He had been pincered.
Houki didn't dive down to dodge his shots, she dove down to bring him closer to her partner.
His lips curled into a smirk.
"Clever girl."
Fwoom!
(BGM End: SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays - Junk Guild Theme)
Chifuyu narrowed her eyes when her assistant fired the Gae Bulg. He didn't aim at anything in particular, so why was he shooting? The near-thousand thoughts were soon brought to a halt when, instead of a yellow coated shell, smoke immediately dispersed from the weapon.
"A smoke shell." The teacher muttered, cupping her chin as she did so. "Forgot that he didn't only have HVAP rounds in his rail bazooka."
Tatenashi merely watched, her sharp ruby eyes looking for any sign of the black-gold suit. The cameras and drones could only follow so closely before they run the risk of being caught in the crossfire. Even more, it seemed as if whatever compound the smoke was composed of didn't allow for good visibility, even to their high-fidelity lenses.
"Um…sensei?"
They both turned to see Maya scratching her head in confusion, her green eyes narrowed as she stared at the screen of her monitor.
"What is it, Yamada-sensei?" Chifuyu asked.
"Er…We-"
Beep!
"Oh, uh, never mind..?"
"What?"
"What?!" Houki's disbelieving yell turned their heads back to the live feed, eyes widening briefly at what was happening.
What the hell was happening?!
She knew she had the smug blonde dead to rights, she had him!
He wouldn't have had the time to dodge, even within the smoke, she would have anticipated his movements!
So how…
How was he able to-!
"Wait, where did he go?!" Ichika looked around the dissipating smoke cloud, Yukihira held defensively as if anticipating a sudden attack. "How did he just disappear?!"
"Do I look like I know?!" She snarled before yelping as she barely dodged a beam from the Blue Peirce. "Alcott!"
Cecilia's smirking visage didn't help with her anger in the slightest!
Fwoom!
"Oh shi-!"
She saw Ichika barely dodge the yellow-coated shell, prompting her to look down at where it came from.
Her eyes widened.
There, in the smoke cloud her partner was previously in, was the Gold Frame.
'Mirage Colloid. A damn miracle substance, if I ever knew one.'
"Well, aren't you full of surprises, Ephraim?" Cecilia's teasing tone came from his right as she floated closer, using the shock and lull of the battle to appraise his form. The Gold Frame suffered little to no damage in its exchange with the Uchigane, and the spear it held barely had a scratch either.
The Astray turned its head towards her ever so slightly and she could practically feel the smirk on his lips. "I have a penchant for drama, I must admit."
"It seems the Gold Frame gave them the slip! But how exactly did he do that?!"
Ephraim scoffed as he held Gungnir in a reverse grip, Gae Bulg dissipating into motes of light. "Fat chance getting me to explain it." He muttered before looking at his partner. "Cecilia, I'll make an opening for you."
The noblewoman blinked before narrowing her eyes as her Optical Bits arranged themselves around her. "Right!"
The Gold Frame's 'wings' spread out once more and, with a muted hiss, the Magashira no Hoko Shot Lancers rocketed out and up towards the two stunned sword-wielders.
(BGM: SD Gundam G Generation Wars - Kyouki no Hate)
"Watch out!"
"Ah!"
Ichika pushed his partner away before wheezing as the two lancers crashed against his chest. They were fast, far faster than Bodewig's wire-guided daggers, and far more hard hitting. They wrapped around him tightly before the Gold Frame grasped the cables on his end.
"Houki-!" The Byakushiki pilot croaked out before using what movement he had left in his arms to toss his sword towards her. "Catch..!"
"Tch." Ephraim clicked his tongue as he swung Ichika around like he was a demented top. His thrusters aided in accelerating their spin, causing the two girls to quickly make space as the boys began yelling.
"You're an asshole, Ephraaaaim!"
"Hahahaha!"
"Oh, wow! There they go, like some wild beyblade let loose!"
Houki adjusted her grip on her two swords now that it was only between her and Cecilia. A flash of blue from the corner of her eyes caused her to do a wild swing with the Yukihira, surprising her when it actually responded to her attempt and cut the beam in half.
"What the..?" She muttered, glancing down at the metal blade before shaking her head. "Focus..!"
'He must have given me permission to allow me to wield it.' The swordswoman thought as she boosted towards the Blue Tears. 'Did he anticipate this..?'
"I must admit, I've been wanting for a chance to settle our own score, Miss Shinonono." Cecilia smirked as she boosted back to dodge two errant swipes of the dual blade user. "What was our tally? 2 wins each?"
"Our last match was my win!" Houki growled as the Blue Tears dodged more of her swings. "You're just in denial!"
"We both were at zero shields!" The noblewoman retorted as she kicked a blade away before using her Blue Pierce to parry another swing. "And then you claimed that I lost my shields first!"
"You did!" The ponytailed girl swung down with both blades-
-A tingling in the back of her mind-
-A white bolt!-
Clang!
-only for both to widen their eyes as the two blades were deflected by a black-gold blur.
〈Cecilia! Blue Pierce!〉
Cecilia's eyes widened as she recognized the item in the air and she boosted up to grasp it, tossing her Blue Pierce with all her might towards the spinning mass that was the Gold Frame and the Byakushiki as she did so.
The Blue Tears' claws grasped around the shaft of Gungnir, and she pointed it at the shocked Houki in a defensive stance.
"Like I said earlier, my dear Houki." The blue-eyed blonde crooned, her lips curling into a fond smile as her mind thought back of her and Ephraim's sparring sessions. Her Optical Bits hovered around her like a swarm of angry bees, their barrels pointed towards the Uchigane as they flitted around.
"Ichika's not the only one to have grown under the boys' guidance."
"Huh." Ryo tapped his chin as she watched Cecilia and Houki square off, spear and swords clashing again and again. "So he taught her how to use a spear alongside some CQC…"
"Good on him." Davion crossed his arms as he closely watched the Gold Frame's spinning. "A sniper should at least have some decent melee knowledge in case someone flanks them."
"Are we really just gonna ignore how Sahaku-san has those things similar to Bodewig's right here?" Rin snarked as she thumbed over to the stunned albino, whose sole eye was wide as it could be as she watched the fight.
"They seem to be faster than the wire-guided daggers, however." Charlotte saw fit to interject. "And Sahaku-san seems like he can use them akin to whips."
Kanzashi kept quiet throughout all this, narrowing her eyes as she discreetly took notes of the rocket wires.
"Let me go-!"
"Granted."
The cables quickly unwrapped and he felt the inertia of the spin take its toll on him. Flipping head over heels, he forced his breakfast down before he impacted the hard ground of the arena. The ringing in his ears made him miss the gasps and exclamations of shock that rippled across the bleachers, as he was too busy trying to get up.
His vision swam, everything becoming blurs for him as he tried to regain his bearings. A quick glance at his shield levels told him that it was nearing 100, and that knocked the dizziness away.
Fyoom!
He saw his shadow darken far before he heard the whine and he rolled away from the beam that struck where he once was.
Looking up, he saw the Gold Frame pointing what looked like a rifle down at him. However, the rifle was different from the Type 71 the Astrays used, he should know, he liked using the carbine of the Red Frame during their shooting practice.
"That's new..?" He muttered, quickly getting up and realizing that he had no weapons on hand.
"Shit."
"Sensei, did you see..?"
"I did."
Both Chifuyu and Tatenashi narrowed their eyes at the Gold Frame, specifically at the weapons it held in both hands.
It was the-
No.
It used to be the Blue Pierce.
The moment the Astray had caught the weapon and put its finger on the trigger, something had accessed its built-in lock and overrode it. Normally, the lock would have allowed only the weapon's parent IS to utilize it, but somehow, in some way, the Astray was able to use it as if it was the parent IS.
And that wasn't even mentioning how the weapon changed.
"W-Well!" Tatenashi spoke into the mic, hiding her great surprise with her usual cheer. "It looks like Sahaku-san is just full of surprises today, huh?"
Chifuyu merely took note of how even her assistant seemed surprised at the change…
"The hell?!" Rin gaped at the weapons. "He can take our things now too?!"
Laura narrowed her eye at the screen.
Kanzashi turned to Davion, who also had wide eyes at what just happened. "Did you know..?"
"No." The mechanic shook his head, blinking as if trying to clear the disbelief all over his face. "This…Ephraim must have been hiding this." The gray-eyed teen muttered, cupping his chin as he frowned.
"That's…wow." Charlotte could only let out a quiet murmur. A hand patted her shoulder comfortingly, and she looked to see Ryo give her a reassuring smile that alleviated some of her chaotic emotions.
"I'm not that surprised that he had a trump card." The courier admitted as he watched his friend combine the two rifles into one bigger and longer version. "He's always been a sneaky git like that."
Fyoom!
'Why the fuck did the Blue Pierce turn into the Lupus rifles?!' Ephraim thought frantically as the large blue beam was dodged by the Byakushiki. 'How the hell did this happen?!'
He didn't expect the damn weapon to have shifted in a brief flash of light into what it was now!
'Some bullshit interaction between our tech, maybe?' He continued, separating the weapons and barraging the white IS as it continuously dodged his half-hearted shots. 'The Dual Hand Plugs should have just allowed me to use the weapon, not modify it!'
That nifty little feature of the Gold Frame would have allowed him to use both Astray and IS weapons without any problems. It was one of the trump cards of his frame, one that he had kept hidden all this time until now.
It was why he asked Cecilia to trust him, after all.
If he told her about his plan to use her weapon, she would have wasted precious time granting him permission to use it, precious time that would have been better spent taking their opponents down.
-A white bolt!-
'!'
He backflipped over the incoming projectile, a spinning Yukihira, before he twirled to dodge the wild charging thrust of the Uchigane. Raging azure glared into cold blue as she passed, and the Blue Tears stopped beside him a few seconds after.
"I'm sorry, Ephraim, she just took off after you-!" Cecilia didn't get to finish her sentence as her Blue Pierce was handed back to her, much to her wide eyes at its current state. She could feel that the two rifles were her Blue Pierce but…
"Don't apologize." Ephraim reassured her as he took Gungnir from her grasp. Below them, Ichika caught his blade with a small spin. "Shinonono-san has had it out for me ever since we first enrolled. I half expected her to do such a reckless charge like that."
Holding the two rifles in her hand, her CORE immediately reacted by turning it back into its original form, much to her disappointment.
The two blondes then looked down at their opponents, watching as Ichika activated the energy blade of the Yukihira.
"Let's finish the fight." The noblewoman spoke up, loud and clear for those watching. "They've been impressive opponents thus far, despite their disadvantage. What say you, Ephraim?"
"I'd say we give them a chance to surrender." He chuckled as he saw the snarl on Houki's face. "But it looks like they're willing to fight until the end."
"Brave." Cecilia nodded as she and the Astray lowered their altitude until they were standing back on solid ground. "But ultimately foolish when up against us."
"'Pride cometh before the fall', my dear." Ephraim scolded her without much heat, the Gold Frame's 'wings' folding back into its compact form. "Allow me to close in."
With a near-blinding flare of its jets, the Gold Frame was between the two IS in two seconds, the jetwash kicking up dust and debris. The ground cratered where he had just launched from, and he planted his feet as he swung his spear at the Byakushiki.
"Fast-!" Ichika yelped as he blocked the attack, though the sheer force of the strike sent him back a few feet.
"Ichika!" Houki whirled around and swung her sword down, gritting her teeth as she targeted the back of the Astray's head.
Clang!
Ryo rolled his eyes.
"Show off."
Chifuyu frowned.
Tatenashi…
"Holy-! What the heck?!"
Held between the left pointer and middle finger of the Gold Frame, was the Uchigane's katana. The Astray held the blade with frightening ease, and it turned its head back to look at her. The monoeye flared before the mobile suit whirled around to-
Snap!
-deliver an overhead strike of his Gungnir that broke her blade in half.
(BGM End: SD Gundam G Generation Wars - Kyouki no Hate)
Houki's eyes widened as she stumbled forward, the broken sword falling out of her numb grip as she collapsed on her knees. Her hearing became muted, her vision swimming as she stared at the ground.
She lost.
Again.
Her fists balled up, before she swung at the leg of the Gold Frame with all her anger.
Clang!
Her fist rebounded off the metal, barely making a dent and causing her to hiss in pain. Clutching her wrist, she glared up at the indifferent optics of the Astray before it moved. Tensing her body, she watched it as it extended a hand towards her.
The swordswoman kept her glare as they stayed in that position for a few more seconds.
"...Do you not know when someone's giving you a helping hand?" Ephraim hummed good-naturedly, the Gold Frame tilting its head at her.
She slapped it away as she shakily got up. "I don't need your damn charity." Houki spat as her IS dematerialized, causing her to walk away to one of the arena exits.
The Astray watched her leave, only paying a small bit of attention as Ichika yielded after being surrounded by the Optical Bits. With a quiet sigh, he turned to give Cecilia a thumbs up.
"Ding ding ding~! And that's the bell! The winners of the first exhibition match are our beautiful blondes! Let's give it up for Lady Alcott and Sahaku-san!"
Alektra cupped her chin as she reviewed what she just witnessed.
'Teleportation of some sorts?' Thought the German Representative, making sure to put the Gold Frame higher in the threat list. 'Not to mention those wire-guided daggers, much stronger than the Schwarzer Regen's…'
She needed to review their evaluation of the three boys, especially after the black and gold Astray stopped the Uchigane's blade with only its fingers. The purple-eyed Major knew that the katanas were tough, they were built to be just as tough as the IS that wielded them.
For the blade to break that easily with a single strike…
'That means that either the suit has upgraded internals that allowed such strength, or it's the spear that did it…'
"Well ladies, let's get ready for the next match!"
AN:
Apologies for the late update, university's been...kinda hellish. Online classes can be a bitch on the psyche, on top of other things...
Anyway, here we are! The new upgrades of the suits.
[EDIT] Misc: Ephraim's helmet and pilot suit are a black, purple, and gold version of the ORB pilot suit in CE71, what Juri, Asagi, and Mayura were wearing during Gundam SEED. I would have used Mu la Flaga's pilot suit instead, but between the trio there's already a stand-in for the Earth Alliance/OMNI suit, which is Davion's.
Or at least, the Gold Frame's in this chapter. The following chapters will feature the other suits, don't worry, I needed to cut the whole day into separate chapters because if I hadn't, then some magic would have been lost in translation.
So! From the normal base Gold Frame to the Gold Frame Amatsu Perfect Form, Ephraim finally got what he's been waiting for!
Plenty of new gadgets and gizmos for him to play with, that's for sure!
And he finally reveals a trump card he's been hiding for all these months! The Dual Hand Plugs!
While in the Cosmic Era, it allowed the Gold Frame to use both ORB and OMNI weapons, here in the IS-verse, it somehow got translated to the suit being allowed to use any weapon it got its hand on. So kinda like a Knight of Owner deal.
Anyway, thank you for the 100 faves and 116 follows!
This a very sleepy and very mentally exhausted Cipher, signing off!
As the crowds cheered, Houki blocked them all out.
Something within her was burning, a caustic feeling that nearly threatened to consume her were it not for her own self-control.
Bang!
Ignoring the pain of her fist, she pulled it back from the wall as she grit her teeth.
How many times had she lost-
How many things has she lost to those three puppets?
It was already bad enough that they stole her time with Ichika away from her, but now they were teaching him things that she could have easily taught?!
And now she lost.
Horrendously.
"That smug bastard…" She growled as she stalked the halls, not really knowing or caring where she went. "That condescending son of a bitch..!"
She had never liked the purple-eyed asshole, always smirking and smiling like there wasn't any other emotion that he could access. Not even when he first introduced himself, she knew that he was fake. He spoke in double-meanings, had a sharp tongue, and his voice always had this tinge of distaste for all of them!
So of course she wouldn't like him, that moron didn't even respect them in the first place!
But no, apparently she was the only one that felt that way because the rest of her classmates were taken by his 'charm'.
As if someone that rotten could have charm.
Her distaste grew worse when Chifuyu introduced him and the two others as her damned sister's test pilots for her new toys.
Her sister, who did whatever she wanted to.
Her fucking sister who…
Houki stopped, staring dead ahead as an idea flashed through her mind.
Her sister.
Perhaps…it was time to swallow her pride and ask for help..?
