Episode 11-3 - Falling Petals


Time: 9:25 AM

Location: IS Academy, Sagami Bay

All available IS Pilots, please report to the Docks! I repeat, all available IS Pilots, please report to the Docks! This is not a drill!

"Was für ein Scheißglück habe ich heute."

The Academy was practically in an uproar, the remaining staff running around and students caught in between being evacuated to the shelters or heading to the docks. One of those heading to the ports was Alektra von Loewenhertz, whose expression was twisted in annoyance as she tried to secure the knife sheath attached to her right rear hip.

The German was clad in her customized black, and purple IS Pilot Suit, which looked less like the standard swimsuit-like set and more akin to a contemporary kunoichi outfit. A pair of headphones covered her ears, and attached to it was a clear visor that jutted out to make room for her bangs. It covered her forehead area down to her lower lip, allowing the freedom of movement to look down without much problem. Her hair was still done up in its usual high ponytail, save her the scrunchie having been replaced with a golden metal band that held it all together.

White plastic-like armor protected her back, forming a collar as well as armor that covered the upper half of her biceps. Her front was unprotected by such armor, with her pilot suit leaving a large opening that showed her skin from her lower sternum down to her crotch, exposing the firm abdominal musculature of the 3rd year. Detached sleeves covered her arms from the bicep down and were armored at the forearm with the same plastic-like armor she had on her back.

Her pilot suit lacked any covering of her inner thighs, save for the pair of stockings inside and the bandages wrapped around the middle of the right thigh. The same white armor that protected her back and arms also protected her feet and shins, reaching up to almost her knee before stopping short. Red bands wrapped around her calves kept them in place, preventing the whole assembly from coming off. An odd red wire-like tail tipped with a metal arrowhead hung from the small of her back, swinging with each step in her run.

All in all, she was an eye-catching figure amidst the trickle of able-bodied pilots rushing to the docks.

"Watch out!"

Purple eyes narrowed in a tight glare as she leapt forward in a roll, just barely dodging a flatbed speeding past with several of the Academy's Rafale-Revive Basics on the back. Many of the other pilots yelled at whoever the driver was in rage and aggravation as it went down the road to the Docks.

Getting up from her roll, she dusted herself off and clicked her tongue. "Of all the times my Raziya is away on a maintenance check, this kuhscheiße happens."

"Well, poor you, lil' Aleks~"

The German sighed but did not turn around, her annoyance rising at the irritatingly familiar drawl. "Daryl, I am in no mood for your provocations." She flicked her ponytail in an effort to relieve some of her aggression. "And I keep telling you, it's Alektra, not Aleks or whatever you make up. You Westerners and your lack of courtesy…"

"Ah, come on!" Alektra's hand shot out and grabbed the wrist of the American, stopping it inches away from the skin of her bikini bottom-esque clad rear. "We're rivals! We have to give each other nicknames! It's, like, tradition, yeah?"

"I would appreciate you not sexually harassing me, you Schlampe." She turned her head to glare at the grinning blonde, her purples boring deep into those blues. Said blonde was wearing a custom black and red IS Pilot Suit that included shoulder armor. "What would your girlfriend say if she saw you do that to me?"

A hand suddenly pulled on the tall blonde's ear, bringing her down wincing as a shorter, blue-haired girl with a long braid came up behind them. She wore the standard IS Pilot Suit colored in pale blue and white. "Normally, I'd let her do what she wants, but I have a great deal of respect for you. So apologize!"

"Ah! Sorry! Sorry babe, it's just me and Aleks here are rivals, you see! Like in Football! You know I only love you and you alone~!"

"It's Alektra." The German hissed before she shook her head and looked at the blushing short girl. "I'm sorry about your girlfriend, Forte. Come, let's hurry to the docks."

"Yup! Let's go!"

"Wha- Hey! Ow! Let go of my ear, at least!"


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Location: 5,300 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

(BGM Start: Ace Combat 7 - Identification)

"Shit! Intercepting!"

Ephraim's hiss snapped him out of his stunned state and the Red Frame turned to see the Gold Frame take a sharp turn North from his position back at the front of the fleet.

"Do you even have ammo left!?"

"I've got the mass."

"Oh no you don't! No using those kinds of references, you idiot!" Ryo growled as the red comet flew under him, kicking up a massive wake in the water before the blonde increased his altitude. "Or else I'd have to force you to shut up!"

"Relax. I've still got Gungnir, I'll pierce through them no problem-"

CRASH!

Another red blur crashed into Gold Frame in the blink of an eye, the impact creating large sparks before the Astray and whatever hit it skipped across the ocean's surface with great splashes.

"Ephraim!"

The Gold Frame suddenly shot up into the air, dripping wet, and rolled to the side to dodge the wild swipes from the Aegis' arm-mounted beam sabers. The transformable suit was the other red blur that intercepted the Astray, and now it was swinging wildly at the black and gold suit. Gunfire erupted from both their heads, the mirror Igelstellungs roaring as the bullets ineffectively bounced off their respective Phase Shift Armor.

"Shit, the damn Aegis..! Fuck, the Strike too?! Where the hell did Tabane find these fuckers?!"

The courier narrowed his eyes and saw the aforementioned mobile suit flanking the cursing blonde, its pink beam saber being warded away by the efforts of the Gungnir.

"Ryo, it's up to you!" Ephraim snarled, masterfully deflecting and parrying two opponents' attempts to kill him. "Shoot them down, Archer!"

'Archer…'

"…Really now." A deadpan voice replied as green eyes sharpened as Ryo reached over to grab the Tactical Arms 2. "If you're acting like this, I might as well show you why the archer class is made of-"

Something cold dropped in his gut.

-only for him to whirl around, Gerbera Straight mid-swing to stop an incoming beam saber slash.

SLASH!

Or at least, he attempted to. He was a second too late, but his body had reacted far faster than his brain. The energy sword carved a deep furrow into the chest armor of the Red Frame, breaching the inner layer and causing the suit to depressurize. It just barely grazed his pilot suit, with his chest feeling the sheer heat of the blade. His eyes were shut as his body boosted back for him, and he opened them…

To see nothing around.

"What in the hell..?" He whispered, turning around with the Gerbera Straight held defensively. His sensors didn't detect anything out of the ordinary, nor could he see anything odd. His vision suddenly swam, and he shook his head, cursing his current state.

"Ryo, where are the arrows?! Those Tomahawks are getting farther and farther!"

"I think… I think something has cloaking tech..." The courier reported, actively looking around now. "My suit is compromised!"

"Fuck!" Ephraim cursed between grunts of exertion, quickly looking over to where another fight was taking place. "Davion! Davion, use it!"


Location: 5,700 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

"Davion! Davion, use it!"

Gray eyes widened at the command before a grim frown curled his lips. Glaring at the Duel before him, he juked its beam saber swing before delivering a spinning strike aided by the thrusters of the Tactical Arms.

Bash!

The strike proved fortuitous, as the Phase Shift armor of the Gundam finally faded away, leaving it gray and vulnerable.

"I've had it with you!" The mechanic roared, the optics of the Blue Frame flashing red as the power cylinders in the arms went into overdrive. The greatsword came back again, its momentum increased by the thruster engines built into the weapon, and he shoved it into the middle of the Duel.

STAB!

This time, the edge dug into the metal, eliciting a pained and wet scream from the pilot. It was high-pitched, feminine, and that gave him a brief pause. Blood leaked out from the wound and he, with some reluctance, pushed the blade further in, the tip exiting the back of the mobile suit.

The Duel slowly, futilely, placed a hand on the sword, loosening its grip on the beam saber and letting it fall into the ocean below. It tried, oh did it try, to push the blade out, but the Blue Frame kept it in.

'...?'

The head of the Gundam slowly looked up at him, the optics sliding into the mask and forehead armor to reveal…

Gray eyes.

Gray eyes of the same shade as his.

Gray eyes that were glaring at him with disdain and malice.

"Alpha-207."

Davion flinched, his own gray eyes widening at the name. This girl, whoever she was, knew him.

The Neo-Type him.

"Codename Tinker. Creator of the Nova Compound…must…die..!"

Gritting his teeth, and ignoring the shakiness of his hands in the gauntlets of the suit, he drove the sword further in. Electricity started arcing from the suit, and a high-pitched whine drilled into his ears.

"Shut up!" He roared, crimson eyed, as he planted a foot on her chest. His heart raced upon recognizing the signs of a self-destruct sequence. "Shut up shut up shut up!"

Memories came unbidden at his denial, of explosions, of seeing other Neo-Types suffer under his creations, and of the numerous times he chokedandchokedandchoked-!

Clank!

Caletvwlch was pressed up against the head, the glowing barrel pointed right between those haunting gray eyes.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

FYOOM!

A large green beam shot out from the sparking gunblade, obliterating the head of both the mobile suit and of the pilot. The upper half of the torso was equally disintegrated by the unrestricted beam, and the Blue Frame kicked the rest of the body away as it sparked and-

BOOM!

Davion boosted back, chest heaving as he stowed the partially melted Caletvwlch on the Astray's thigh. He grimaced as the pressure wave from the explosion buffeted both the waves and the air, and he raised a twitching hand to cover the Blue Frame's face plate.

'She knew me. That pilot…she must have been briefed by Tabane. That's…that's the only explanation. She found a gray-eyed girl to mess with me!'

"DAVION!" Ephraim roared over the comms, breaking the mechanic from his panicked thoughts. "THE MISSILES! FIRE THE CANNON!"

He turned his head, following the fading exhaust trails of the cruise missiles and bit his lips. "On it!" Trying to hide the shakiness of his voice was hard, especially against people who had been with him from as far back as he could remember. Placing the Tactical Arms back in its holster and configuring it to Flight Mode, he chased after missiles.

White-gold motes of light gathered by his hips once more, coalescing into black blocks that almost reached his feet in length. The additional rear skirt armor once more appeared and he quickly pulled out the cables from their holsters.

"Come on, make it..!"


Location: 5,500 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

"Keep at it girls. This thing's got no energy shield!"

Numerous blue beams impacted the armor of the Buster, the Phase Shift doing its best to mitigate the mass of energy. However, with how many beams the olive and green suit was shooting earlier, it was only a matter of time before-

Hiss…

Iris narrowed her eyes as she circled the mobile suit, noting how it seemed more panicky now that its color turned gray.

"Now! Arrestor whips!" She barked, flying in and delivering a harsh kick to the side of its head with her Prophecy's leg unit.

Clang!

The sensor armor was knocked off by the blow in a shower of sparks, the head snapping to the side at the impact. The four other Prophecies quantized sparking whips before they wrapped them around each limb of the gundam. It began thrashing, forcing the girls to pull harder, and then the blonde pulled up in front of the gundam.

"You've got no chance." She warned whoever was piloting the thing with a glare through her visor, tapping the barrels of her rifles against the chest. "Just surrender, whoever you are. You will be treated in accordance with international law." The Sergeant smirked, using one of her rifles to tap the chin of the Gundam. "We even have pizza."

The Buster didn't cease in its struggling, instead growing more and more frantic as the seconds went by. The Prophecies pulled hard and remained firm despite the thrusters of the olive mobile gunning every now and again.

"God, you are stubborn." Iris grumbled, raising a rifle to signal the others to get ready. "Alright, shock-!"

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Her Hyper Sensors detected an increasing power signature from the suit, a rapid and spiking sort that twisted her gut just from seeing the readings. "Back off!" She barked at her squad, quickly boosting away from the flailing and twitching mobile suit.

"Get back! That thing's gonna-!"


Time: 9:30 AM

Location: Nimitz-Class Carrier "Kestrel", Sea beyond the Ogasawara Islands

The bridge was silent.

To their front was a sight none of them would have expected, a sight that would have normally belonged in such set battles as the Second World War.

Sinking ships, rescue boats a plenty, and even more waterborne crafts smoking as their weapon systems have been shot off or physically ripped out of their places and tossed into the sea.

Helicopters flew around, now that the threat of the rogue CIWS was gone, picking up drifting sailors and coordinating with RHIBs down below. Crews scurried about, putting out fires or helping with the rescue efforts by spotting for the helicopter and RHIB crews.

This was, by far, the most devastating naval attack in the 21st century.

But most of those at the bridge were not looking forward. Instead, they were looking to their right, towards the North.

Where all the fading missile trails lead.

The first to snap out of it was the Captain, who immediately rose to his feet and began barking orders. "Call back Sergeant Calling's squad to-"

BOOM!

Much like earlier, the very air shook when another explosion erupted, this time far to their East.

"Captain, the Prophecies just took major damage to their shields!" The operator on the line with the CDC called out, turning to Andersen with raised brows. "That sniper unit self-destructed!"

"With that big of an explosion?!" Natarle demanded, pushing off of the wall she braced herself against. "Just what the hell did they put in those things?!"

"It doesn't matter!" Andersen hissed. "What matters now is stopping those cruise missiles from striking Japan! Jensen, get Hawk and his squad up to intercept, we have approximately half an hour before they enter Japanese airspace!"

"On it!"

"Locke, get the Seahawks out to rescue survivors!"

"Yes, captain!"

"Badgiruel, I want a sitrep on the status of the RIMPAC forces! I want to know which ship sank, which can be evacuated, and which is still seaborne!"

Natarle stiffened before her training kicked her back into gear. Saluting her commanding officer, she straightened. "Yes, sir!"

"Get the flight crews to prepare for a 4-plane launch! I want Hawk's birds up in the air within 15 minutes!"


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Location: IS Academy Docks

"Wait, are you kidding me?"

"Why would I joke around at this time, Casey?" Alektra hissed at the confused American. "This is a priority mission. Forte, can you knock some sense into your girlfriend?"

"I can try but you know how hard-headed she can be at times…" The younger girl sighed, looking around as the rest of the available IS Pilots on the island got into either an Uchigane or one of the Rafale-Revive Basics, equipped with either a naginata or different kinds of firearms respectively. "The info is correct right? That cruise missiles are going to hit the Academy?"

"Yes." The dark-haired girl nodded, a frown curling her lips as she watched the other pilots take off and form into their respective squads. She had been put in charge of her fellow 3rd year and two other 2nd years, bringing their IS tally to two Personal IS' and two Rafale-Revives Basics. "Something happened further down South, as that's where the missiles are coming from. We, alongside other pilots, are tasked to form a screening force. Frau Sarashiki already went ahead with her cohort, we need to take off as well. Do you remember your roles?"

Forte nodded, glancing at the crystalline constructs flanking her IS with a hint of pride. "I'll use Cold Blood to produce ice shields as a last line of defense, Daryl will use her Hellhound's abilities to prematurely detonate any that get past the other squads, and Sara-"

"I can speak for myself, Miss Sapphire."

Alektra turned her head and saw the last member of their squad finally arrive. It was none other than the second IS Representative Candidate of the United Kingdom; Sara Welkin.

She was shorter than Alektra but taller than Forte, standing at a modest 5'4". Some of her caramel brown hair was tied into bun plait but left the rest freely hanging as it went down just shy past her shoulders. Gemstone green eyes looked at them critically before looking back down at the upsized Accuracy International AS50 in her IS' claws, the blue and white armor of her Rafale-Revive almost similar to that of the Cold Blood.

"I know my role, it's to whittle down any missile that gets past the Cold Blood's defenses. I must admit, the situation right now reminds me of what happened ten years ago-" But before the 2nd year could ramble on, their squad leader clicked her tongue loudly to get their attention.

"Enough talk. Every second wasted is a second those missiles get closer. Squad Alektra, head out!" Within a blink of an eye, she was clad in her temporary IS, a black Rafale-Revive Basic with orange trims. And in the next blink, she shot up high into the air, a Vent rifle quantizing in her claws as multiple holographic screens popped up before her.

"Hey, hold up!" The Hellhound, with fitting black and red armor, quickly followed after the German. A proud grin was on her lips as she tailed the IS Representative, flames licking the eyes and mouths of the hound-like constructs on her shoulders. "I ain't letting you outshine me, Aleks!"

"Gott in Himmel, it's Alektra!"

Forte merely sighed as she and Sara followed after the two, with the latter bringing up the rear as she checked the zeroing of the scope and her ammo.

"I do hope Lady Alcott's fine within all this chaos…" The Brit muttered, both aware and uncaring if the other 2nd year had heard her.

The blue-haired girl's heart thundered in her chest, just now realizing the extent of the danger that they were all in. She took a few deep breaths as she followed her lover through the air, trying to calm herself amidst the turmoil of all what was happening.

"I'm pretty sure they're fine." A surge of confidence welled up in her as she looked at the Hellhound with fond eyes. "Don't worry about letting anything slip past, Daryl and I got this in hand."


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Location: 150 Feet above Sea Level, seas between the Ogasawara Islands and mainland Japan

(BGM Switch: Ace Combat 7 - Magic Spear II)

"Initiating live-fire test of experimental weapon codenamed 'Galaxy'."

Gray eyes darted around the HUD, briefly taking in the suit's energy readings and that of its status. The battery was nearing halfway due to all the flying and juking, as well as from his Trans Phase Shift armor being pummeled. The left arm wasn't looking too good, with the shoulder engine having exploded and the TPS having had to mitigate the heat off the beam saber. This caused him to deactivate his right shoulder engine, decreasing his overall speed and stability.

"Transfer 40% power to frontal Trans Phase Shift armor in order to mitigate excess heat."

The black blocks on the hips swung forward and extended.

Thu-thunk!

"MF Core in place, activating Microfusion Reactor…"

Plugging the cables into the blocks, he ignored how the stray electricity arced up the arms. Looking past the HUD, he saw the trails of the cruise missiles. He had gone past Mach 1 earlier, but due to the Caletvwlch being unusable, he dare not try to push it further. The suit itself was already being buffeted by the wind, and he didn't want to risk breaking apart just because he went too fast.

Thrum…

Davion licked his lips as he watched the charge, keeping a close eye on the status of the reactor. It was all still highly experimental, an errant mistake could have dire consequences. He had to rely on distant memories, after all, to create the necessary components for the Microfusion Core. And for better, or worse, Nuclear Fusion yielded far more energy than Fission. So if it exploded…

Well, he could only hope that the detonation wouldn't reach Castle Bravo-levels.

Beep! Beep!

His sensors detected the cruise missiles ahead of him, to which he was closing in. The Tactical Arms took a heavy beating earlier during the hell that was the rogue Aegis System, with the thrusters inside and those that made up the hilt putting out a lower thrust than optimal. Still, he gradually began to overtake them, taking note of their specific formation as he took a deep, calming breath.

It was a wedge, a wide arrangement that would make it hard for a linear shot weapon to effectively take them all down with one shot. He'd need to practically sweep them out of the sky, but he wasn't sure if that would be worth it. The range limit of his new weapon was unknown, and he'd rather not hit a distant coastline and have massive collateral damage because of it.

He took a few moments to think, to look forward and guess what was ahead of him, of what was further North.

The Academy.

These cruise missiles were launched, most likely by Tabane in a recreation of the White Knight Incident a decade prior. He and the other Neo-Types had already guessed so, who else would be crazy and skilled enough to hack through the Aegis System?

The Mad Rabbit.

He was not letting this blatant abuse of power go, nor was he letting the attempt at their lives be forgotten. She will get her due in time, he just needed to be smart about it. He was not delusional enough that they could take her out as they were now, they just needed a bit more time.

They were walking on the edge of a blade. They knew this by heart. By letting Tabane plot and scheme as they built up their strength, they were simply making things harder for themselves. But, at the same time, this allowed them to plot and scheme themselves, to make up plans to counter whatever she might create. Sure, she might have the knowledge to create the G Weapons and of Phase Shift Armor, but there were plenty more in the Astray's Black Boxes to unlock, technology that even she had no idea on.

An effective way to stop a snowball such as her, was to have a snowball yourself.

Because, as much as he detested it, there was a familiar madness behind those plum eyes of hers. A hunger for gratification, of acknowledgement, and of superiority.

One much like what he has, chained deep inside of him.

'But the difference between the two of us…'

Images flashed through his mind, of his friends, of his family, of the brotherhood he had with the other two Neo-Types. There was a weight to their bond, one that spoke of having been tested, tried and true. It was heavier than what he had forged with Ichika, heavier than anyone else's. The only one that came close was…

…Kanzashi.

'...Don't worry. I'm coming back to you.'

"Activate radiation shielding." The mechanic quietly exhaled as he heaved the two blocks off of the hips, bringing them both together and on his right shoulder as he flew ahead of the missile formation. A dark visor slid down over the entire faceplate and his own pilot suit helmet polarized to protect his eyes from any stray ionized radiation.

Woosh!

He maneuvered himself to be ahead of the missiles, increasing the distance between them to within 3 kilometers.

"Here's hoping the gamma radiation is minimal..!"

The Blue Frame turned around, arresting itself in the air just as two guiding lines appeared out from the barrels of the weapon. He watched as the power consumption of it went higher and higher, somewhat thankful that he didn't have to use what little battery life he had left in the Astray.

Beep!

And there, in the edges of his sensors, were the cruise missiles.

Gray eyes narrowed.

His mind steeled itself for the decision to come, pushing away all doubts and fears just for this one moment.

'Breathe in…breathe out.'

This was it, the opening of Pandora's Box…

"Lohengrin Cannon, FIRE!"


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Location: 500 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

Slash!

Clang!

Gungnir flashed and struck the hand of the Strike, redirecting the overhead slash before the Gold Frame tilted its head to the side, barely missing the snap kick up from the same suit.

A white bolt!

He backflipped over the Aegis as it went in for a double horizontal beam slash, his leg coming in for a kick that struck it in the back of the head, sending it crashing against the Strike.

Fwhip!

The Magashiro no Hoko then shot out and wrapped them each, with him grasping the cables afterwards.

"Try this one for size, you bastards." Ephraim hissed as he began to spin, his already white-hot thrusters heating up further as they roared. His battered body, pummeled by the sheer amount of g-forces in going Mach 6 and executing split-second dodges, began to scream in the process. As genetically modified as he was, even he couldn't entirely escape gravity's grasp.

Gritting his teeth as he spun at excess speeds of near supersonic, he almost couldn't hear the barely audible scream of pain amidst the thundering heartbeat in his ears. The world slowed down as he spun, the veins around his eyes bulging once more to funnel blood efficiently.

FWOOSH!

A large red to white beam with purple lightning arcing from it zoomed past underneath him, catching his attention. A grin then curled his lips as he recognized the beam for what it was.

A death trap.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

As his sensors told him of Gamma Radiation arcing out from said beam, he instantly activated the radiation shielding of the suit. His thrusters roared as the Gold Frame gradually stopped its spinning motion, battering his body once more with the g-forces. The inertia of the suits on the cables kept going, dragging the golden suit with it until-!

Zwip!

He released the Strike towards the fading beam, the Magashiro no Hoko lancer quickly unwrapping and zipping back into its container. The Gundam futilely reached out, the thrusters of the Aile pack roaring as it tried to slow its fall.

But the collective inertia was too great.

Purple eyes watched dispassionately as the blue and white suit was engulfed by the beam, witnessing it visibly be destroyed at the molecular level, not even leaving an explosion behind. As he went to throw in his next victim-

SLASH!

-the cable was cut.

The leftover cable of the remaining shot lancer zipped back into its container and the Gold Frame whirled around, Gungnir held at the ready.

CRASH!

His stomach lurched at the sudden impact, but he ignored the pain as he grit his teeth. His arms were held to his sides by the three limbs of the larger Aegis' mobile armor form, and the pilot stood up from the odd motorcycle-like seat she was on.

One of her arms was gone, strands of muscle and veins the only things remaining as it bled heavily, affirming his suspicion that it was one of the Aegis' limbs that were torn away from the sheer speed of the spin. Her helmet was damaged, the visor visibly broken and revealing a glaring blue eye underneath. The remaining hand reached up and tore said helmet off, revealing a full head of blonde hair.

'What..?!'

His mind froze as a faint image of Sigma-74, of his little sister, superimposed itself over the Aegis' pilot. It was a direct match, a 1-to-1 ratio, from the jaw shape to the eyes.

'There is no other explanation..!'

This girl was of his series.

One of his siblings.

"Die, Sigma-66!" She roared, breaking the illusion and revealing a detonator in her clenched fist. Her expression was a mix of fanatical hatred and genuine loathing, and her lips stretched into a mad grin as she pressed the button down.

Hiss…

The Phase Shift of the Aegis slowly faded back into gray, and his heart leapt to his throat as his mind connected the dots.

"You abandoned us, you murderer!" The girl rambled, her bloodshot eyes manic and froth dribbling down her bottom lip. Veins visibly bulged from her neck to her cheeks, up until around her eyes in an unnatural beat, some sort of dark liquid within contrasting with her pale skin. "Now, join us in the grave you dug!"

Purple eyes darted to the hand that held the detonator. Narrowing them briefly, he locked on and then..!

Click click click!

'?!'

He looked to the corner of his HUD, where the ammunition counters would be for his weapons.

Igelstellungs: 0/300

Gae Bulg Rail Bazooka: 0/15

Type 70 Beam Saber: 100%

Type 71 Beam Rifle: 78%

'Out of ammo?!'

Click!

"Hahahahaha! Die!"

"Use the Claws, Barbatos!" Ephraim roared, eyes darting around his HUD as the girl began maniacally laughing, coughing up blood in between her cackles. As this happened, the Maga no Ikutachi claws flipped forward and clamped around the main body of the pink Gundam. "Drain it before it could-!"

(BGM End: Ace Combat 7 - Magic Spear II)


Location: 4,000 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

His senses pounded by all the chaos around him, Ryo could barely concentrate as he tried to pinpoint just where his unseen enemy was going to strike from next. The mechanic earlier had panicked at this 'Blitz' and his actions clued him in that this fifth enemy could turn invisible just like the Gold Frame.

Buzz…

Fyoom!

The courier whirled around, Gerbera Straight cutting into the green beam and diffusing it. He spotted something black in the blue sky for a split second before it disappeared, and he tried to focus to see if there was any visible distortion.

"Damn..!" He cursed as his eyes darted around, fighting the sudden onset of a migraine. While he was grateful that Ephraim had managed to stop all the missiles and bullets being fired at them, there still was this ringing lull in the silence that came after that was like white noise in his ears.

On top of that, his vision which occasionally swam due to exhaustion was finally intensifying.

Despite all of this, he still tried to take and make sense of the battlefield.

Up above, the Akatsubaki still continued its fruitless endeavors to try and defeat the Gospel. On its back was the Byakushiki, barely hanging on. The courier could barely see with how much beam spam was going on, but he was sure that the ponytailed girl was absolutely seething at the lack of progress. Hell, she probably was so tunnel-visioned that she didn't notice the tragedy going down below her.

Below him was the Gold Frame, engaged in a fierce tango of sabers and spear. The suit was steaming, its overall temperature quickly evaporating whatever salt water remained on it during its skipping on the surface. It then shot its lancer darts around its two opponents and began to spin.

'What is happening..?'

Everything around was simply…pandemonium.

FWOOSH!

Ignoring the red to white beam shooting past below him, Ryo took a deep breath, pushing down the rising frustration in favor of focus and calm. He didn't survive this long to lose his cool now, not when his friends, and many more lives, were in trouble. The world slowed as he closed his eyes, the thundering beats of his heart echoing in his ear as he fought to push the panic down.

His sensory perception was muted and moved to a near standstill.

'Clear your mind of doubts.'

Buzz…

Slash!

Turning around and bringing the sword in a diagonal upward slash that cut through the yellow claw zooming towards him. The halves went flying past him before exploding, but all the noise was blank for the courier.

'Clear your mind of fear.'

Buzz…

Fyoom!

Slash!

'There is only…'

-A green jewel bounced on a fathomless surface-

He slowly brought Gerbera Straight by his face, drawing out a low exhale as his heartbeat stabilized and his mind calmed.

'...the Infinite.'

Buzz…

Slash!

"Hiken…"

-It exploded in a shower of lights-

'Ah… there you are~'

Green eyes snapped open, the pupils shrunken and the iris growing to an unnerving degree. He could sense the suit behind him, he could hear the air moving as it drew closer and closer. The Red Frame whirled around and the courier adjusted his grip on the katana, his face impassive even as the pink blade was inches away from melting the V-Fins of the helmet.

He breathed once…

"Tsubame Gaeshi."

Whoomp!

…and his sword was no longer by his head, instead held low by his right hip. Dull verdant eyes locked with the cold blues of the mobile suit before it as he slowly, reverently, sheathed his blade. In the silence that permeated between the two, only the sound of gentle metal meeting metal could be heard.

Clink!

Bzzt!

The Blitz Gundam's beam saber had stopped inches above the crown of the Red Frame, briefly heating up its V-fins before it simply died with a blink. Blue optics dimmed down to nothing as the head tilted down, an audible gurgling coming from behind the faceplate.

Splshh!

Blood began spraying out of the three extremely subtle, yet deep, cuts, one diagonally cutting through the neck and past the heart, one going up from the left hip to the right pectoral, and the finally one slashing across the stomach, practically disemboweling it.

The arms then went limp, the right arm's odd shield-weapon composite system causing it to sway due to its weight. The backpack then died, allowing gravity to take control of the suit.

Ryo breathed out, reattaching the sheathed blade back to his Astray's hip and grabbing the falling suit by the arm. As it dangled and bled, the stoic eyes glazed over his fallen enemy as its head tilted back at a perfect angle for his optics to stare directly at it, challenging it, taunting it. "Who's next…?"

BOOM!

He turned his head towards the explosion, his eyes briefly widening when he saw the bright orb in place of where Ephraim had been. His heart skipped a beat, quickly glancing over to the corner of his HUD, where he navigated to their private comms channel to see the status of the blonde.

[Prototype 01] Status: Active.

That didn't tell him much, aside from the fact that the systems and the Black Box of the Gold Frame was still up. However, just because the Frame was still functional didn't mean that the pilot himself was in optimal condition. For all he knew, his friend could have been wounded.

"Ephraim!" Ryo called out in their comms, rising panic in his tone as he flew closer to the dying light. "Ephraim, answer me!"

Krshhht!

An ear-ripping screech of static came from his helmet comms, causing him to wince, but it preluded something that calmed him down.

Fwoosh!

From the debris cloud of the explosion, came the figure of the Perfect Gold Frame as it shot up and out of it. Gungnir was still held in its right hand, though there was a visible heat wave coming from it.

Hiss…

However, all was not well.

The normally black armor was graying-out, sparking with electricity and with vapors trailing from it. Both of its arms were visibly damaged, with chunks of the Phase Shift Armor slagged from the blast. As the Red Frame flew closer, the courier could see that the swept back V-Fins of the suit were slagged, answering his unasked question as to why there was a harsh burst of static from his comms.

The Tengoku Backpack fared no better, with the Maga no Ikutachi claws being heavily damaged. The thrusters of the pack were sputtering, creating an uneasy wobble in the balance of the Astray, with one of the engines occasionally shutting off. The golden metal that composed the inner frame had parts visibly melting off, dripping down into the ocean as both the Phase Shift and Trans Phase Shift failed in the chaos of the explosion.

"Thank God you're ok. What happened?" Ryo's pulse calmed itself when the Gold Frame turned to him, cracked optics flickering.

There was a tense silence from the other Neo-Type before the Astray slowly shook its head, a bark of static signifying the loudspeaker being activated. The pilot self-destructed. I'll elaborate later. The Gold Frame looked towards the RIMPAC and then at the limp Blitz in the Red Frame's grasp, still bleeding from the cuts. ...Keep that. That may be our only evidence of Tabane's meddling. For now, we need to finish this shitfest.

CLANG!

Both Frames turned their heads and up to see the Akatsubaki quickly crashing down towards them, the Gospel's fists buried in the girl's gut. Then, with a sudden spreading of its wings, it arrested itself in the air, allowing the momentum to carry Houki and Ichika down.

Despite the damage of both their suits, the Neo-Types quickly moved in the way of the two. Ephraim dematerialized Gungnir and braced himself, the thrusters flaring out once more despite their heavily damaged condition. Ryo, meanwhile, placed his free hand on the Gold Frame's shoulder, untouched thrusters flaring to aid in their makeshift cushion.

CRASH!

The Byakushiki impacted the crossed arms of the blonde's Astray, the wing structures automatically forming a barrier between flesh and metal. As it dented the depowered Phase Shift armor, Ichika's head was knocked back into said wings-

Crack!

"Agh! Nuh…"

-causing his already swimming vision to be further muddled.

Next up was the Akatsubaki, sandwiching the poor boy between two layers of metal wings. The collective impact stole the breath of both IS pilots, causing them to slump against each other for a brief moment before Houki was dragged off of Ichika by Ryo.

"That…bitch..!" The ponytailed girl hissed, catching her breath with wheezing gasps as she tore her arm out of the Red Frame's grasp. "I'll get her..!"

You'll be getting no one. Ephraim's tone was harsh, made only harsher by the burst of static in his loudspeakers. The Gold Frame wrapped an arm around a limp Ichika with some slight difficulty, as the Astray had to accommodate the floating wing constructs of the Byakushiki. We need to retreat, the situation has not developed in our favor!

"Retreat?!" Houki whirled at him, a mad glint in her eyes as she gripped her swords tightly, pink energy coating parts of her armor and the blades. "So you could take her down while I'm running away?! No! No more, you prick!"

Are you delusional? Gone was any kind of respect in his voice, replaced instead with irritation and anger. Do you think any of us here are in any state to fight?! He then gestured to the nearly unconscious teen under his left arm. The blonde had to do a double take when he spotted blood staining the back of Ichika's head. Look at him! He needs medical attention!

"I-I'm fine…" Ichika murmured, weakly trying to wiggle out of the blonde's grip. "Just…just need to…"

Ichika, just rest. Please. There was an uncharacteristic gentleness in Ephraim's voice, one that made the Byakushiki pilot think he got knocked in the head far harder than normal. Pushing on as you are now is tantamount to killing yourself.

Shinonono-san, calm down. Ryo advised in a low voice, getting warning signals from the girl's body language. His hand rested on the sheathed Tiger Pierce, eyes going back and forth towards her face and at the shaking grip of both her swords. Unlike earlier, we really need to hesitate here. So let's to go back and regroup.

"Fuck that!" The younger girl spat out, pointing Amatsuki at the Gold Frame. Her blue eyes burned with anger against his cracked optics. "You pansies can go and run for all I care! I'll stay here and finish this fight that you'll run away from!"

"Houki…" Ichika muttered, mustering enough strength to crane his neck up so he could look at her. Blood ran down his face from the wound on the back of his head, painting a grim picture, yet there were sparks of defiance and determination in his brown eyes. "I-!"

Fyoom!

Those same brown eyes then widened, adrenaline surging through his body as he somehow managed to wiggle out of the Gold Frame's grip. Gone unnoticed by both Neo-Types, owing to their mounting fatigue and too focused on the volatile girl, the Gospel managed to fire off a large beam. By the time they noticed it, Ichika was already pushing the Akatsubaki away from the incoming blast.

"Watch out!"

BOOM!


.

.

.


Time: 9:35 AM

Location: Kanucha Resort Conference Room #2

Thud.

The phone slipped from limp hands, falling to the floor with a quiet impact that echoed in the silent room. Wide eyes stared at the projected screen, at the ravaged fleet, at the explosions, and where they knew their friends were.

"No…" Chifuyu whispered, her eyes locked on to where she had watched her little brother take a shot for his friends. "Ichika…"

"Ichika!" Rin leapt up from her seat, her face pale and tears welling up in her eyes. "ICHIKA!"

The rest stared in stunned silence, a cold shudder running down their backs. They couldn't move, nor could they even utter a sound.

Bzzt.

And then one of the laptops sparked and crackled, causing the teacher behind it to back away as the machine finally gave out. The projected screen fizzled into static for a brief moment before darkness took it, a flashing 'Signal Lost' stretched across.

"Damn it!" Maya cursed, slamming a fist down on the table. "Quickly, reconnect! We need to know the status of the students!"


.

.

.


Location: 4,000 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

Blinking to get rid of the white spots in her vision, Houki quickly looked around for any sign of the Gospel. But all around was nothing but blue skies and the dark smoke of burning fuel and of steaming waters.

"Where…where the hell did she go?!"

Ichika!

Her heart skipped a beat as the thick haze of anger was briefly washed away, memories of the precious few seconds prior coming back to the forefront. Horror quickly surged through her, accompanied by fear and great amounts of worry.

I got him!

Blue eyes quickly looked down to see both Astrays holding the unconscious body of the Byakushiki pilot. The IS itself was gone, instead having returned to its Closed Form following the boy's blocking of the blast. The Gold Frame lowered its head to hover over the younger teen's chest before it shot back up.

I can hear some kind of liquid in his lungs! The loudspeaker barked out as the monoeye flickered to life. We have to get him medical attention, now!

It took us 30 odd minutes to get over here, will he last that long? The Red Frame asked, adjusting its grip on the black suit it was dragging around. It looked eerily similar to the Gold Frame, from the shoulders down to the proportions of its armor.

Take him to the US Carrier down over there, the one that the Seahawks are lifting off from. She's got onboard medical facilities…

What else the Astray said was drowned out by the keening noise in her ear. The more she stared at the body of her childhood friend, the less things began to make sense. She saw the burns on his skin, the fresh blood running down his face, and the way his lips were blue, so, so very blue.

'Ichika..'

Numb hands nearly let go of both Karaware and Amatsuki, a cold chill enveloping her body from the inside.

But he was just fine, right?

He was just knocked out, right?

As the Red Frame took Ichika in its other hand, cradling him like a child, sea-green optics looked up at her one last time before the suit began to fly towards the aforementioned carrier. That single look, a mere glance, froze her, its sheer weight penetrating through her ego in one decisive move.

There was naught any other emotion behind it, other than…

Distaste.

"It's not my fault…" She whispered helplessly, shoulders slumping as tears welled up in her eyes. "It's not…"

A gray head then turned and blue optics locked on to her own blues, the cracked lenses flickering as the Gold Frame slowly flew up to her level. Much like the Red Frame, even through the impersonal faceplate, there was weight behind the stare.

Disdain.

'Stop…stop looking at me like that!' Was one of the many frantic thoughts going on through her head, her mind lost within a haze of volatile emotions. 'It's not my fault! It's not!'

They had this in the bag! It should have been easy!

She and the Akatsubaki were the lynchpin, everything should have been a walk in the park!

But…what happened?

Shinonono.

…And just like that, the haze was swept away.

Houki slowly lifted her head to look up at the Astray, who was floating meters away with a visible wobble as its thrusters struggled to keep a consistent thrust. From this range, she could see the visible damage on the suit, from the slagged metal of its joints, to the numerous white-hot and partially melted thrusters. The tips of its wings were gone, leaving melted ends that looked like they were shoved into a crucible.

Let's go. The Gospel's gone, we need to…

'...It's not my fault. No…it never was.'

She subtly readjusted her grip on her swords, empty eyes staring dead ahead at the golden suit. Its words were muted, drowned out by the pounding of her heart in her ears. She honestly could care less what it said.

Earlier, when they entered the storm, it was only them. She and Ichika braved the tempest squall that was the Gospel, fighting tooth and nail for a chance to finish all of this in one decisive blow. It was them that risked their necks fighting UCAVs and the rogue IS, dancing with death at several points, though she wouldn't openly admit it.

Where were the other three when their aid would have been, admittedly, crucial?

'It's not my fault that Ichika got hurt…it's not my fault as to why all of this happened…'

They were waiting, obviously.

Waiting, for the chance to steal the spotlight, for the chance to steal the glory and fame that came from their hard work.

(BGM Start: Ace Combat Zero - Contact)

She slowly lifted her head up once more, so that she could stare dead into the cracked optics of the nearing suit.

Slash!

Amatsuki was swung down at an angle, a mere flicker of silver-

Hiss..!

Clang!

-and yet, it was deflected by the dented forearm of the Astray, the armor tinting black with a muted hiss that matched the one that escaped her lips.

Shinonono, what the-?!

Karaware came swinging horizontally, rage powering the blow as it soared towards the stomach armor of the suit.

Clang!

A golden elbow and knee trapped the blade between each other as her lips stretched back in a rictus of fury. A spark of indignant rage lit up in her eyes as she glared at the optics, pink energy flowing out of her as she activated the Fold-Out Armor.

What are you doing?!

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" She roared, tears streaming down her cheeks as the two wing-like constructs suddenly detached. They then began darting around erratically, forming a volatile blade shield around the red IS and forcing the Gold Frame to boost back. "If only-! You incompetent idiot!"

'It's all their fault…'

How is anything my fault?! The Gold Frame asked, boosting back further to dodge a blade bit, pink energy trailing after it. The monoeye rapidly panned from left to right, trying to track the rapid movements of the remote controlled melee weapons. Stop, you moron!

'It's all their fault..!'

Kareware was then engulfed with energy, the physical blade briefly turning into highly charged matter as she swung it towards the Astray. A beam crescent was sent towards the golden suit, the action fueled more by rage than logic. Said suit boosted back before shooting up high, its speed noticeably slower than what she had seen before the fight. A few of its thrusters on the calves suddenly sputtered out, and one of the main thrusters on its backpack died completely from the maneuver.

Shit! Duke!

Buzz-! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Gah!

Parts of the Gold Frame began visibly disappearing before several small explosions erupted on the gray armor of the Astray, engulfing it in an odd glittering cloud. Houki took this opportunity to close in with the suit, her blade bits flanking her as she drew back both her blades for a strike. Raising them above her head, she swung them down once she got to the cloud, the blue optics seemingly flashing in surprise as she let off a roar of anger.

"Just disappear, damn you!"

CLANG!

The glittering cloud was blown away by the force of impact, and the grinding of metal on metal entered her ears. Teary, angry blue met with cracked facsimiles, both practically glaring at each other. Amatsuki and Karaware barely bit into the shaft of Gungnir, both of their weapons trembling in their grasp as the rage-fueled strength contested with its genetically enhanced counterpart.

"What the hell is happening up there?!" A static voice called out between their comms, but was ignored by them both.

You are, by far, the most annoying girl I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. The Gold Frame snarled, the optics flickering as it spoke. With a wordless curse, he shoved her swords to the side before bringing the end of his spear back up to strike her across her face. And that's an achievement by itself! He then followed up his strike with a right roundhouse, boosted by the remaining calf thrusters in the leg.

Clang!

Houki brought up her arm just in time as the pointed tip of the foot struck at the Phase Shift armor, bouncing off with a shower of fragmented metal.

Tch! Forgot that you have that stolen tech..!

"Stolen?!"

Fwhip!

The sole shot lancer then flew out of the remaining container, going along the flow of the roundhouse-turned spin. The arrowhead tip glided across the surface of her stomach, carving a shallow line across the durable weave of the IS Academy pilot suit. The Gold Frame then boosted back, holding Gungnir defensively before him.

Yes. Stolen. The Astray hissed, the spear darting out in a blink that was barely parried by the red IS. The blow sent her back, both from the force and from her boosting away in an act of self-preservation. You didn't earn the right to have it. Your sister merely gave it to you! You're nothing but a fake!

The girl physically recoiled, surprise and hurt washing across her face before rage overwhelmed it in the blink of an eye. Her swords came swinging right after, both in different directions but were frustratingly deflected by the golden spearhead.

"Look who's talking!"

"Both of you need to calm down!" Their comms called out again, but ,like before, was ignored by the volatile duelists.

Silver rivers crashed against golden crescents, sparks flying from metal meeting metal. A high-pitched keening noise came from each strike, the two's arms mere blurs as one consistently thrusted and swept his polearm while the other kept on swinging her blades away.

"Pretending like you're someone who's nothing special! Faking it so that people can't see who you really are! What you really are!"

Cracked optics flared as the spear was swung down, forcing the girl to cross her blades up in a makeshift shield.

CLANG!

Then humor me, child. What am I to you?

Blue eyes glared deep into the lenses, boring past that and into the disdainful purple she knew was behind it.

"A FRAUD!"

With her roar, she shoved the spear up high and quickly twirled to the side to dodge the downward swipe. With her twirl, she brought her swords around again, pink energy coating Karaware in the meanwhile.

Slash!

A pink crescent raced out from the attack, half-coalesced from the energies unleashed at such close range. She stared hard at the Gold Frame as it executed a last-second frontflip, the remaining shot lancer wire being cut from the beam passing underneath it. Not wanting to give the Astray a chance to catch a breath, she closed back in with her blades in full swing once more.

CLANG!

Arcing over her head, the edges of the katanas bit into the shaft of the spear once again, continuously sparking as they ground against each other.

"No normal human being could dodge an attack that close!" She snarled, trying her best to push down against the polearm. "Hell, no one's supposed to be able to even be a match for Orimura-sensei!"

There's always bigger fish! Came the barbed retort of the mobile suit, slowly but surely pushing the swords back towards her. Get it through your thick skull that there will always be someone better than you out there!

Houki snarled as she realized that she was fighting a losing battle. The freak before her was too strong, too freakishly strong for her to try and contend with. She had to fight smart..!

"Yeah, I know that, freak!" She spat out, having to lean back as the gray and gold suit began to look over her. Pink energy then began surging out from the hidden ports of her armor, coating both her blades but not yet turning the physical blade incorporeal. "That's the way of the world! But you're acting like you're the God-given Chosen One, with that pride and arrogance of yours!"

I EARNED MY SKILLS! Roared the Gold Frame, raw anger seeping into its words. Her swords were creeping past her shoulders now, and the shaft of the spear touched her throat. I suffered for them! You do not know what I went through, what I had gone through to have what I have now! I deserve to be proud of what I have!

"I don't give a shit!" Houki hissed as her eyes darted to the side for a moment, before she went back to glaring at the mobile suit with all her pent-up anger. "Just leave my friends and I…"

Woosh!

The Gold Frame's monoeye quickly panned to the side-

"ALONE!"

CLANG!

-and then a blade bit crashed into the faceplate of the Astray with a resounding impact. It lacked the pink energy blades, instead relying on its Phase Shift protected bulk to deal damage.

There was a muffled scream coming from the golden suit as it was knocked back, and it quickly raised its left hand to cover its dented faceplate.

CLANG!

The other blade bit impacted its back, crushing the damaged backpack and pushing the suit closer towards her.

This was her chance.

She raised Amatsuki and Karaware as she charged in, fully intent on finishing this battle. A war cry left her lips, one full of all of her lingering hatred and anger, mixed with passion and a manic desperation for things to turn back to what they once were.

"GET OUT OF MY LIFE!"

The Astray's monoeye flared at the sight of the red IS charging in and it raised the spear in defense.

CLANG!

Both blades crashed against the shaft of the spear for the third time that day, held stubbornly by the Gold Frame in an impeccable act of defiance. From between the golden fingers that were covering the faceplate, a purple eye, covered in blood, glared deep into hers.

It was a sparking, hateful gaze, one so baleful that it almost froze her in place.

Almost.

Fyoom!

A pink blade shot out from a hidden port, just underneath her IS' left foot, catching the panicked attention of the Astray. The other hand removed itself from the faceplate, revealing the broken right optic lens and the glaring purple orb behind it, and grasped the spear to have a better hold.

NO!

Fyoom! Fyoom! Fyoom!

Three yellow beam arrows were blocked by her blade bits, draining her shields and causing Houki to look over the Gold Frame's shoulder. The Red Frame was rocketing towards them, the odd sword-bow in its hand firing off multiple beams which curved around her bits, impacting her shields directly.

"Tch!"

She drew her left leg unit back-

Houki, stop!

Don't!


SLASH!


Time: 9:40 AM

Location: Kanucha Resort Conference Room #2

(BGM Switch: Syatei Kyori - Toshihiko Sahashi)

"AAAAAAAAH!"

The chaos that enveloped the room earlier was silenced by the shrill cry of sheer agony coming from the normally calm and collected noblewoman. All eyes quickly turned to her, watching in shock and surprise as she writhed in her seat, grasping her right arm as if it was getting torn apart. Cecilia flailed around, kicking herself and her chair away from the table and tipping it over as she continued to scream.

THUD!

Only when they both fell to the ground did someone act.

Lath quickly knelt next to the sobbing blonde, using her hands to pin her limbs down. "Kazahana, call Doctor Coast up here now!"

The brunette did as she was told, pulling a phone from her jacket and quickly dialed the silver-haired doctor.

"Cecilia!" Laura quickly vaulted across the table to aid the Scandinavian. A quick once-over caused her to yell at the others. "She's having some sort of attack!" She then looked back down and into the teary eyes of the girl.

"Cecilia, you're having an attack. Stay with us and…look. Look, focus on my hand…just focus on my hand and count how many fingers I have."

"It hurts..!" Cecilia continued to sob, all forms of composure lost as she went pale from sheer shock and agony. "It hurts it hurts it hurts!"

"Miss Alcott, stay with us!"

Chifuyu merely stared at the static screen in silence, a maelstrom of emotions coursing through her. She knew that the 4th Gen was bad news, she knew that she had a very bad feeling about today!

'Tabane…' She mentally snarled, clenching her hands tightly to the point where her palms bled from her nails digging into them. All sound was muted in her ears, other than her heartbeat. The room whited out, ignored by the angered woman. An old wound flared in pain, but she ignored it. 'You've hurt my brother today..!'

Her jaw tensed and her teeth ground against each other, her whole form radiating a fury she had not experienced in years.

'Pray that I don't find you, else there will be retribution.'


Location: 4,000 Feet above Sea Level, seas beyond the Ogasawara Islands

《 Guh..!

A choked gasp escaped the Gold Frame as its right forearm was sent flying. With the arm severed, there was a brief explosion of blood from the cauterized stump, splattering her left side with the hot and steaming sanguine liquid. Gungnir tilted as a result of this loss and both the katanas slid down the shaft.

Slash!

Two furrows were diagonally carved across the chest of the Astray, causing both an audible and visible depressurization of the inner chamber. More blood splattered out from said depressurization, sprinkling across the ponytailed girl's face as the Astray was knocked back from the strike.

NO!

CRASH!

Houki gasped as something hit her in the back, hard. Cold metal arms then held her own by her sides-

CLANG!

-and then her vision swam, a searing pain spreading throughout the back of her head. Darkness began creeping in from the edges, and she realized that whatever had hit her, struck her in the back of the head.

"N-No…I…"

Muffled words entered her ears, unintelligible amidst the haze and the encroaching fatigue from both adrenaline and the high altitude sickness.

"Have to finish…the…"

Glassy eyes looked down as the body began to fall limp, a cold sensation spreading through her as she witnessed a red blur holding a red and gray form.

"Gospel is…she's…mine…"

And then she knew no more.

(BGM End: Syatei Kyori - Toshihiko Sahashi)


Location: Nimitz-Class Carrier "Kestrel", Sea beyond the Ogasawara Islands

Natarle could only watch in stunned silence as, what she presumed was, the argument in the skies turned hot. Something had happened between the red IS and Callsign Gold, leading to a short fight before the latter was incapacitated. Callsign Blue had appeared out of, well, the blue and restrained what she could now see was a rogue element.

This is Callsign Red to Carrier Kestrel, do you read?! I need another team of medics, ASAP!

Purple eyes looked over at said Astray and saw that he was flying towards them fast. Gold was in his arms, looking none too healthy with how he seemed to limply sway. She then looked down at the gray machine left by the flight elevator, and more specifically at the small pool of blood around it.

P-prepare for medical... urgent…n-now clear t-the…

"Red? Red! Come in! What's wro-?" Whatever Captain Andersen was going to say was cut off when his eyes widened at the incoming threat. "Clear the deck! CLEAR THE DECK!"

One of the bridge officers repeated the order and she could see, from her position by the window, all the deck crew run to the side, well away from the center of said deck.

"Brace for impact!"

CRASH!

She barely even had a moment to brace herself when the two Astrays impacted the flight deck from the direction of the aft. Pressed against the window, she could do nothing but watch as the two suits skip across the deck, leaving behind chunks of white metal from the Red Frame. The Gold Frame simply ragdolled, damaging the deck as it carved furrows into it before it rolled to a stop at the base of the island.

The other Astray, however, dangerously came close to falling off, were it not for an arrestor cable snagging around its foot as it bounced past. The sound of metal grinding against metal rang in her ear as the front of the suit slid across the deck before coming to a smoking stop.

This is Callsign Blue. Kestrel, I am coming in with a prisoner, please tend to my friends first! Please!

"This is a god damned mess." Andersen cursed as the Blue Frame landed on its feet by the flight elevator, depositing an unconscious girl by the other gray suit's side. The Astray was then coated in white-gold light for only a blink before a figure in a blue and white g-suit began running towards the other downed suits.

The rest of the flight deck crew began to act as well, with some heading over to the Red Frame to try and recover it alongside those wielding fire hoses to cool down the obviously heated metal. The on-deck medics, who were tending to the bloodied suit deposited earlier, immediately rushed to the Gold Frame, identifying its lack of a right forearm as something far more important.

"I'm heading down there. Badgiruel, with me." The older man firmly stated as he began to walk to the door, surprising the Ensign at being called. "Tell INDOPACOM that the Gospel was sighted heading East, back towards Hawaii. Right now, I need to help those kids down there."

"Yes sir!"

Giving a weary sigh, Andersen quickly made his way down the island to the deck.

"The whole world's a powder keg ready to explode, I just know it…"


AN:

Beta'd by: ProjectRyo

I apologize profusely for the delay, some external factors contributed to the delay. Also ProjectRyo was in a mood for the better part of this week and thus was unable to focus on proof reading. Nothing negative, mind you, it's just that he was doing his hobbies with much gusto.

Anyway, here's the third part of Episode 11 with all it's chaos. Hundreds of lives lost, hundreds more wounded, millions upon millions of dollars lost, and many more tragedies unfolded.

This wasn't even a Pyrrhic Victory, this was a Costly Defeat.

Also, yes, Alektra is wearing her pilot suit from CROSS ANGE. Both it and the IS pilot suits are ridiculous in my opinion, but at least the CROSS ANGE suits have visors to help protect the eyes.

I based Sara Welkin's appearance on Lee-Enfield from Girls Front Line. It seems fitting that the other UK IS Representative Candidate would look like her, since she is Cecilia's senior in terms of combat. If she did have a certain appearance in the LN...uh...yeah, nah, I prefer her looking like Lee-Enfield. She's the right blend of ladylike and badass.

To the reviews!

RoyalTwinFangs: Well, technically there already is a Mass Produced Astray. The M1, but if you're talking about civilian-use/civilian-grade, then I have two forms that I have in mind. I'll be keeping that idea close to my chest for now, but it'll be explored upon in...a few chapters.

KnightOfZaku: Tabane stopped producing the IS COREs, but I get your sentiment. As of the moment, Phantom Task isn't really that well-known. They're efficient in going underground and being nigh-untraceable, but the world leaders will pin the blame on someone. Or rather, something.

P.B.S: Expect future transformable suits to be akin to the Ragna-mails with a motorcycle-like seating. And thanks for asking! I'm actually going to start off in Volume 4 after Episode 12, so Season 2 will be a mix of anime and LN materials (with the anime providing a visual for the fight scenes and locations and the LN for dialogue and other more crucial details). Don't worry, I won't miss the Cannonball Fast, as ridiculous the event is.

Oh, thanks for reminding me!

Alright, I'm going to ask all of you. Should I split off Season 1, Summer Arc (yes I'm making Summer Chapters), Season 2, and the still storyboarding LN Arcs into separate stories? Or should Gone Astray be an Anthology, starting from Season 1 to the ending of the LN? I'm leaning towards the former if only to spare you all the trouble of having to scroll through tens of chapters to navigate between Season 1, Season 2, etc.

Also, I have some omakes written up that I want to insert between chapters but if you want, I can just release them following Episode 12. They're not that tied into the storyline, more akin to supplemental writing and character exploration (as well as shenanigans).

And you know what? Screw it. As cringy as it is, I've found an OP for this fic.

Kamen Rider Saber's insert song Rewrite the Story.

I mean, come on. Three protags that are Red, Blue, and Yellow/Gold? Also the lyrics fit them.

Well, with that!

This is Cipher, signing off!