The Cheerleaders | Issue #1

"We pan in to the scene, coming from the sea as we approach the coastal side of Juniper City. The main city hub itself in the background, as we get a good view of a naval base. Port Atlas as it's called. And it was, oddly empty for the time of day. The panel scans the base, devoid of people, before we land on one of the base's warehouses, where we see the five of you enter the scene. How do you enter?"

The five girls of LiPPS didn't react immediately, all entranced by the Producer's introduction as another flash of the camera lit them up. Kanade's eyes blinked as she got out of her stupor, picking up her playbook off the table. "I arrive on my gryphon, landing silently with another one of us with me." She looked around the group. "Who would like to tag along?"

"Oh, me, me!" Frederica volunteered, raising her hand up in the air. "I want to fly with you."

"Okay, so Venus and I arrive together." Kanade finished with a nod.

"I landed by myself next to them, jumping from farther away." Mika said excitedly.

"And we arrive by way of my robot jumping for us." Shiki glanced to Syuko, who nodded back. "We left her bike behind."

Syuko furrowed her brows but accepted it. "Sure, I have a bike."

"So, the six of you, including Ajax." The Producer reaffirmed with the group. "What do you do?"

"I look to Heiki and ask 'So what's going on inside?'" Mika nudged Syuko with her elbow. "As I speak, my voice sounds rough and artificial, as I'm using something to cover my voice."

The white haired girl turned to their Producer. "What do we even know about this?"

"All you know, from your alerts, is that the villain The Unknown Soldier had taken control of Port Atlas."

"And who is The Unknown Soldier? Do we all know about him?" she further probed.

He nodded. "You all know the basic gist of it, but none of you have ever engaged them before. An immortal spirit of all soldiers from past wars. From the most recent to the ancient conflicts. They always target government institutions, military posts, and monuments that celebrate victories from past wars. Ever since they first appeared, they cannot be truly contained, or even killed. They can be stopped, temporarily."

The five of them nodded, before Syuko continued. "What can I know, that can help us?"

"Would you like to use Been reading the files?"

"Yes." She nodded. "What do I roll for this?"

"Roll with your Superior."

"Okay. First roll ladies." She cheered with the rest as she cast the dice onto the coffee table. A 3 and a 4. "7, + 2, so a 9. A hit, right?"

"Yes. On record, the only way to stop The Unknown Soldier is to kill its current form. Nothing else will." He told her.

"Okay. Okay." She mulled over her choices internally, before turning to the others. "All I know about him, is that he can't be apprehended naturally. Not even exorcising him works. "Killing" him is the best, and only way we can stop him." She looked back to the Producer for confirmation, getting a nod back.

"This seems straightforward, though I don't think that's the case." Kanade spoke up. "I assume the people in this base are held hostage?"

"Most likely." Shiki agreed. "I don't like our prospects here. An entire base, all held by this Unknown Soldier?" she turned to the Producer, furrowing her brows. "Producer, do I get access to my gadgets?"

"You're talking about Always prepared?"

"Yes. It says I have to roll when I'm restocking my supplies, but…"

"I'll allow it." He said to her.

"Awesome! Thanksies!"

"So where are they? Can we find them?" Frederica asked the group.

"'I think so.' I say, as I pull out some kind of device from a storage compartment on Ajax. Producer, I'd like to use my gadget to find where they are." Shiki asked the Producer again.

"Okay, roll unleash your powers with your Superior."

"Alright." The burnette rolled the two six sided dice. A 6 and a 3. "9, +2 for my Superior, so a full hit!"

"So what is this device that you have?" the Producer asked.

"It's some kind of thermal imaging device. It locates the highest concentration of heat in the area." She answered with a smirk.

"Alright. You activate the device, and immediately you're assaulted by the signal. This is a Naval Base, after all, so moment ago there was activity. And it was hampering your ability to make it out, so you try and isolate the signatures you're detecting, until you find what you're looking for."

"Got it. A bit on the North-Eastern side of the base. I think that's where they all are."

"Then let's close in on it." Syuko announced. "Then I guess we all approach it, quietly and carefully."

"Alright, the five of you; are you bringing your gryphon along, Wonderwood?" Kanade shook her head. "Okay. Five of you, along with Ajax trailing behind, carefully maneuvering around the empty base as you approach the location Chiron's device located. A bigger, more prioritized warehouse of the base."

"I'd like to, ugh… what can I do?" Mika wondered aloud. "I don't want to just charge in."

"Yes, that sounds like a bad idea." Kanade agreed with a nod.

"Well, it's not that bad of an idea." Shiki commented. "If we all breach in from different angles, we can maybe surprise them."

"I guess." Said a grimacing Mika, still not convinced with the plan.

"I clap quietly to grab the others' attention." Syuko said, actually clapping and halting the conversation. "Ajax and Venus will burst through the front doors, hopefully drawing the attention of The Unknown Soldier. Then following that, Rider will enter from the eastern side of the warehouse. If there's a door, go for it, if not, a window would do. Wonderwood will escort Chiron from the back, and hopefully find something that can help us from the back. I'll be on the roof two buildings away west from here, providing support with my sniper rifle."

"Wow, you're good at this, Syuko-chan!" Frederica complimented.

The white haired girl scratched the back of her head, chuckling at the compliment. "Hehe, thanks. I'm just winging it though."

"I say back to Heiki, 'That is a solid plan.' As I draw my bow." Kanade added.

"I agree. This I can support." Mika said with relief.

"That's the Boss-Lady for you!" joked the brunette, followed by her signature cackle-laugh.

"Alright, looks like you girls enter battle against a dangerous foe as a team. You all start with 2 Team in the pool. +1 because Heiki is the Leader. Do you have influence on all of your team?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No I don't."

"Okay. Does everyone have the same purpose in the fight?"

"We're all trying to stop The Unknown Soldier, right?" Frederica asked, to which they all nodded their head.

"Then that's another one. Does anyone mistrust the Leader?" they all shook their heads. "And you're also not ill-prepared, or off-balanced, so all in all, you have 4 Team." The Producer clapped his hands, almost startling Mika, with Syuko herself subtly jumping in her seat. "We jump in to a scene inside the warehouse. Dockhands, sailors and seamen, at least those that were stationed at the port pushed to one corner of the warehouse. And the ones, watching over them, were also dockhands, sailors and seamen." He smirked when he noticed the growing look of confusion on their faces. "And we see, around their hands and their faces, some kind of ghostly veil wrapping around them. Blackened red, almost infernal."

He paused for dramatic effect, smiling just slightly. "And just behind all of them, was a being of black and ash. Dressed in the garbs of a WW2 USN sailor, a uniform that was no longer white and flesh dark as obsidian. Its face was featureless, except for the blank orange eyes that can pierce through one's soul. 'We will collapse the foundations." It spoke with a thousand voices, echoing in the warehouse as it approached the hostages."

"And that, is the moment the doors burst open, as Ajax and Venus enter the scene." Both Frederica and Shiki clapped in delight, especially since they were involved in the scene.

"I'm immediately charging straight towards dark looking sailor." The blonde told them.

"Ajax will try and put himself between the rest of the hostages and them." Shiki added.

"'Do not, intervene.' It says as Venus reaches it. What do you do?"

"Vines grow from my hand, and harden as I swing at him." She said with a smile.

"Roll to Directly engage a threat, Venus."

"Yes!" she rolls. 4 and 1, with a +1. "Ah! A 6! I missed!"

"You swing your hardened vine, but The Unknown Soldier dodges it effortlessly, moving back and creating distance from you. Then, it raises its hands, and the hostages that are under its control aim their weapons at you, 'Fire!' it orders, and it's going to use its Barrage of the Legion move. Roll take a powerful blow, Venus."

She rolls again. A 5 and a 5! "Oh no! A full hit! I didn't want that!" she cried out to the amusement of others.

"Choose one from the list, Freddie." The Producer urged her.

"Uh, I'll take two." She answered. "I give ground, and struggle past the pain."

"Ok, what conditions are you marking?"

"Uhm, I'll mark Afraid and Insecure, because I failed in engaging him, and now I'm under fire."

"Good." He waited a moment for Frederica to mark on her sheet. "A barrage of bullets rain down on Venus as the controlled hostages fire on her, forcing her to back away from the conflict. With the space created, The Unknown Soldier will make its move towards the rest of the hostages that are behind Ajax." He turned to Mika, the pink haired gyaru smiling in anticipation. "And at that moment, Rider enters the scene as she barges from a side entrance."

"I want to get a lay on what just happened." Mika told him.

"Then roll assess the situation, with your Superior."

She rolls the dice. A 3 and a 3. "+1 with my Superior, so a 7! I choose one, right?" she got a nod from the Producer. "Uhm, I pick… what's in the greatest danger?"

"Despite Venus being pinned down by the barrage, and Ajax still standing in between the hostages and it, the hostages are still in the greatest danger."

"Then I yell out. Get them out of here! As I engage The Unknown Soldier."

"Then roll for it, Rider, to directly engage a threat."

"Oh, this is dangerous." Mika said as the dice were cast. She got a 4 and a 3, and sighed with relief. "Oh, a 7! A hit! Oh, thank god."

"Oh a 7, you pick one, Rider."

"I choose create an opportunity for my allies. I'm giving Ajax the chance to get the hostages out."

"You're trading blows, so you need to roll to take a powerful blow as well."

"Oh, please be a good one." And she got a 4 and a 1. "5! Yes!"

"Alright, you burst into the scene, get a quick assessment of the situation, belt out your orders to Ajax, and close the distance between you and The Unknown Soldier. With your impossible mobility, you make quick work of it, reaching in melee range with it."

"I give a quick and weighted punch." Mika added, motioning an uppercut.

"You did just that, pushing The Unknown Soldier back with a meaty blow. It strikes back at you with its own punch, but you move out of the way cleanly." He begins jotting something down in his own sheets. "And you see, its form begin to disintegrate, as its ashen body flake up. It screams, 'NO!', and boom!" he clapped suddenly, startling the six of them, including Ushio, who had been taking pictures just as she was asked. "A door leading deeper into the warehouse burst open, as another figure showed itself. Another being of ash, its garb just as black. However, instead of a sailor, this one looked like a Roman Legionnaire."

"Wait, is the sailor one just gone now?" Shiki asked.

"Yes, and now there's another one. It roars, as it begins charging at you."

"Then Ajax will rush the hostages out then, through the entrance Rider used."

"The legionnaire, who had been holding a spear, throws it at Ajax." Shiki brought the dice into her hands. "Roll to defend."

And she rolls, a 3 and a 3, +1. "A 7! Phew. Partial, then I guess I'll expose Ajax to danger, and I'll… uhm. I guess, I'll take Influence over the hostages."

"Then, roll to take a powerful blow."

She rolled again. 4 and 3. "Ah, a 7!" she cried out exaggeratedly. "I'll struggle past the pain, and mark two conditions. Uh, Angry, because The Unknown Soldier damaged Ajax. And, what else?" she asked herself.

"Afraid, because Ajax got hit in the first place? And you don't like that? He's supposed to be the ultimate defense, and you're a bit insecure about that." Kanade suggested.

"If that's the case, then she should mark Insecure." Mika corrected.

"Yeah, I guess I'll mark Insecure." Shiki relented.

"I'll fire a shot from my gun, to give Ajax more space to get the hostages out." Syuko spoke up. "I want to help Venus, but I don't want to fire at the hostages that are controlled."

"What do you want to do? Just to distract? Or, something more lasting?"

She shook her head. "Now that I know that there might be more, I'm going all out."

"Then you're directly engaging a threat." He said, handing the dice over to her.

"Alright, here it goes again." 5 and 4, -1. "Wow, almost good. 8. I guess, since I'm not directly there, I'll impress, surprise or frighten them."

"You do just that. A powerful shot from a powerful gun, separating its arm from its blow, dust sprayed apart around the room. Immediately, its eyes zero in on you. And then it points with its one arm. It knows where you are. Mark Insecure."

"Well. Shit." Syuko responded with a chuckle.

"Meanwhile, on the back side of the warehouse, we see Wonderwood and Chiron making their way inside. The former is leading the two, her sword in hand as they maneuver the emptied corridors." He changed the scene as quickly as he started one, turning his attention to both Kanade and Shiki. "What do you two do?"

"Without turning, I ask Chiron "Do you know where we're going?" as we carefully move." Kanade replied, holding her playbook in her hand.

"Hold on, let me check." I pull out my device and try and search for anything important." Shiki said in return.

"Roll assess the situation, it's more appropriate here." The Producer said to her.

"Alright, here we go." She took the dice and rolled them on the table. A 5 and a 2. "7, plus 2! Nice, a nine! Uhm…" she looked over the questions of the move to see what she could ask. "I guess the question I ask is, how could we best end this quickly?"

"The best way to end this, is to find all of the Unknown Soldier. You know this. So, you use your device to find any signature that matches him."

"So I roll again?" she asks him.

"Unleash your powers, with superior, yes." He nodded to her.

"Alright, let's go!" she rolled again. A 2 and a 2. "Crap, I got a six! That's a miss!"

"Uh oh." Syuko chuckled, seeing the hysterics Shiki was going through.

"How unfortunate." The Producer agreed, still speaking in a somewhat monotone voice, although he did crack a rare smile.

"What's going to happen?" Kanade asked for the brunette.

He smirked back at her, before focusing his eyes back on Shiki. "You try to locate the other bodies of the Unknown Soldier, and yet somehow your device seems to be malfunctioning. You try your best to fix it, it should be easy, but in this high tense situation, you're just panicking." He clapped suddenly, startling the group. "The wall burst open, as another Unknown Soldier makes their appearance, one hand crushing the device, another reaching around your neck, lifting you up."

"Aaaahhhhh!" the brunette's hands pulled her hair in frustration, her screams eliciting amused giggles and chuckles from the rest of LiPPS.

Kanade gathered herself quickly, remembering that she was also in the scene. "Knowing that I need to not hold back, I swing my sword and yell "Let her go, you brute!"

"Then please, roll to directly engage a threat."

"Let's hope this goes well for me, I'm not good with this." Kanade said, taking the dice from Shiki before she rolled them herself. A 5 and a 3. "8, minus 1, a 7! Just enough!" she sighed with relief, seeing her partial success.

The Producer nodded along, silently encouraging the girls as his assistant took picture after picture. "With a 7, you pick one from the list."

"Create an opportunity for my allies. I give Chiron a chance to escape." Kanade answered, knowing what her choice was.

"You do so, with practiced efficiency." The Producer said as he began detailing the events. "Seeing Chiron held up high, knowing full well that your friend is in grave danger. You swing your sword, slicing his arm clean off and freeing Chiron, now gasping for breath."

Both girls breathed sighs of relief, with their obstacle dealt with, even for just this single second. Shiki spoke up first, as if remembering the dire situation. "I try to run away from them, preferably behind Wonderwood."

"As you try and do so, the Soldier tries and strike you again. Roll take a powerful blow."

"Alright." She took back the dice from Kanade, and rolled, getting a 3 and a 2. "A 5! I'm safe!"

"I try and go in for the kill, using some of my magic to enhance my attack." Kanade said, nodding to the Producer as Shiki handed her the dice again.

For a slight moment, he made a mental note to buy more dice for the girls. "Then roll to directly engage a threat again, please."

The dark haired girl nodded, and rolled the dice onto the coffee table. The girls around her cheered when they landed on double 6s. "An 11, because of my -1. I pick…" she double checked the list, then nodded. "resist or avoid their blows, and take something from them."

"What are you taking?" he asked her.

"His life." She said, somewhat confidently.

The Producer chuckled. "I can work with that." He coughed into his fist, before he set the scene for the girls. "Chiron buckled on her knees, but she managed to shimmy herself away from an upcoming attack, as the Unknown Soldier stomped its foot, cracking the floor. It attempted to strike her again, before Wonderwood intercepted the attack. Her sword grew bright, as she unleashed the power within, slicing across its torso."

The Producer paused, for dramatic effect, before continuing. "It dropped to its knees, as its form began dissipating."

Both Shiki and Kanade breathed sighs of relief, as the others clapped their hands. Shiki's expression turned serious, glancing to Kanade. "There should be another one left then. They're still fighting one up front."

"Then we better get moving." Kanade replied with a nod.

The Producer nodded as well, before turning back to the other three, just as another flash from the camera brightened the room. "Back with the other three, most of the hostages had been brought out of the warehouse. Venus and Rider are engaging the last Unknown Soldier, while Ajax made sure that no one else was caught in the crossfire. The combined efforts of Venus, Rider, and even Heiki, are keeping the Unknown Soldier on its toes. Not even its turned hostages can keep up with you."

He paused again, taking a lungful of air, before he continued. "Its eyes flashed a bright red-orange, as its movements stilled for a second. It then roared in anger, and begins charging straight towards Rider, as she was one of the ones to kill one of its bodies."

"Oh boy." Mika said, as she picked up the dice, anticipating what she was about to do. "I'm going to meet it head on."

"Very well. First, please roll take a powerful blow."

"Alright, here it goes." He rolled the dice, and got a 2 and a 4. "6! Whoo!" she shared the brief moment of celebration with the others.

"You're really dodging these attacks, Mika-chan." Shiki commented with a smirk.

"She's our dodge-tank. It's absurd." Syuko said with a smile.

"And that was good. Don't forget to mark your potential." The Producer reminded. "And please, roll to directly engage a threat."

"Okay, okay. Let's do this!" she rolled the dice again, landing on a 4, and a 5. "9! Yes!"

"Do you want us to use Team?" Syuko asked the pink-haired girl. "We can push it to a 10."

She shook her head. "Hold it off, you guys can finish it off." Mika replied, as she met the Producer's eyes. "I pick create an opportunity for my allies."

He smiled proudly. "Alright." He sits back deeper into the seat, before readdressing the room. "The last Unknown Soldier charged towards Rider, forming another spear in its hand. Thinking on her feet, Rider met it halfway, arms forward to reach out towards it. The Unknown Soldier thrusted its spear, and missed Rider by a hair's breath. She held the spear with her arm, and held the Unknown Soldier by its armor, holding it in place."

"Quickly, get it, now! I shouted to the others." Mika said in response.

"I aim another shot, and hope this time it lasts." Syuko said, taking the dice from their friend, and threw it onto the table. They landed on a 6, and a 5. "10, because of my -1."

"That was close!" Frederica clapped excitedly, while Shiki was bouncing in her seat.

Syuko sighed with relief, not realizing the tension she felt on her shoulders. "Do I have to pick anything?" she asked the Producer. "Can't I just say, that I want to stop it?"

The Producer smiled knowingly. "I don't know. We'll see." He reached out and gathered the two dice, placing them on the middle of the coffee table. "Heiki, seeing all of this through the scope of her rifle, could feel as if time itself had slowed down. She waited for the perfect opportunity, as Rider held the Unknown Soldier in place, with Venus even moving in to support. She waited, and when she saw that tiny window, she took it." He snapped his fingers, giving the girls the picture of the bullet being fired. Even Ushio was quiet, entranced by his storytelling.

"An explosion of ash and dust erupted when the bullet hit its mark, finding it on the Unknown Soldier's throat. Both Venus and Rider were pushed back, as whatever was left of it began screaming in rage, this dark gurgling noise that was like static to your ears. It screamed, and screamed, until the static noise began fading. Until there was nothing left of the Unknown Soldier, but its ashes that collected on the floor. The people around you, the hostages that it took, slumped to the ground now that its influence was gone from them."

He smiled at them proudly. "Congratulations. You've beaten your first villain, as a team."

"I'll have Ajax, come back in, to get the last people out of there." Shiki quickly said when he stopped.

"And I'll also meet the rest of the team inside the warehouse." Syuko added right after the brunette.

"I guess by this point, Chiron and I rejoin the rest from the back." Kanade said with a single nod.

"That you do, as the both of you enter to a scene of both Venus and Rider on the ground. Venus in particular looked like she took quite a couple of hits."

"Then we rush to help them up." Kanade continued.

"Then, as things begin to settle down, we skip forward a good couple of minutes ahead, as the paramedics and the police have arrived. The hostages that you guys have saved are being attended to, as the police cordoned off the area. You gave your testaments to them, backed up by the hostages, before leaving you alone as they head to do their jobs. What do you girls do?"

Mika nodded, taking the initiative. "I turn to Heiki and ask, 'What are we waiting for? Should we just head out?"

"I shake my head and say, 'We're waiting for any other superhero to arrive. I don't know, just to get debriefed." Syuko replied.

"I ask her. 'Why? Why can't we just leave?" Shiki asks the white haired girl.

"That's how I was taught by Armory. We're still new to the scene, and its best that we hand it over to those who have more authority. They will help us along."

"Will they?' I ask, sheepily." Frederica added.

"We will.' You all hear, from behind you. A figure, dressed in a bright blue costume, an armored bodysuit with fins with his mask showing his mouth. You all know him, the hydro-speedster known to many. One of the first heroes of the generation, and now one of its best. Torrent. He smiles proudly at you all." The Producer notices that the girls had straightened their postures subconsciously. "Your first official outing, and no one got hurt. Especially against someone like the Unknown Soldier. You girls did incredibly well, well done!"

"We were the closest to the location. It would be irresponsible if we did nothing." Kanade replied in character.

"And you did more than that! You girls should be proud! Especially compared to your first individual outings, I know you've earned the ire of quite a bit of people from that one."

"That was chaotic, and I'm surprised that we got out of it intact." Syuko said with a tired sigh.

"I know, right? It's always so crazy. No one's every truly ready for their first outings, be it alone or in a team. So!' he places a hand on Heiki's shoulder, and nods to all of you. "We'll finish things up, while you kids go ahead and be kids. Celebrate!"

"Thank you, sir!" Shiki said, saluting herself to the Producer.

"No go on! Get! Oh, and Heiki!' Torrent calls out, before you girls leave. 'Armory would be proud."

"The scene ends, with the five of you, basking in your success from the praise you got from one of the most respected heroes in the city. Before you all came together, you fought like a bunch of headless chickens. But now, there was proof, evidence of your competence. And no one can deny you girls that."


AUTHOR'S NOTE

oh boy, it's been a long while. almost 2 years.

well, now a new chapter's up!

as my life got more busy and hectic, this fanfic became one of many to be put aside (not cancelled). i'm not joking when i say that this was the only moment where i finally had the time and moment to get this done. and it wasn't a case of me holding off on releasing the chapter until i can get a backlog finished. i literally only finished this chapter last night.

man.

anyways, here you go! the LiPPS girls in their first ever fight. their 1st session is still going on, it'll be done next chapter.

with that out of the way, thank you everyone for reading this up till now!