"So you call them gunmen," said Katniss, working it over in her head. "The other guy called his a Gundam. So, what's the big difference, here?"
"Well obviously, this one's not dumb!" giggled Ruby. "Get it? Because, Gundam?" Get it?"
The only response this received was a few distressed groans.
"I found your wordplay clever," complimented Adam. "Though I am unsure you have used the word 'dumb' correctly. I do not believe I have heard their machine speak."
"No, silly," chuckled the huntress. "'Dumb' means stupid. Everybody knows that."
The group was close to their destination now. They had been on Second Street for about an hour, so it was only a matter of time before they ran into the Ballrooms- and they were certainly ready to obliterate the VIW in record time.
"Well, I don't know anything about other machines," replied Simon. "But Gurren Lagann is one special gunmen. It's fast and strong, and with Spiral Energy it can do pretty much anything."
"It can't carry a gun," noted the girl.
"Real men don't need guns to win battles. They win through fiery spirit and manly determination!" defended Kamina.
"Manly determination can't put a bullet through a tango at eight hundred meters," said Katniss, rolling her eyes and closing her case.
Holly turned back to the fairly-sizeable team following her. "All right, ladies and gentlemen. We're closing in on our target. We can discuss the tactical advantages of firearms and the etymology of dumb once we blast through three of these things. But for now, we're going to focus on maximum damage. With a giant robot, we can rip the roof off of this place an scatter everyone. After that, it's just a matter of making sure nobody's left standing. Are we ready?"
Affirmatives of varying levels of enthusiasm called back in response.
"Okay, then. I think that's the ballrooms up there-" she shouted, pointing out a building in the distance. "-so let's go give them he-"
"The Second Street Ballrooms VIW has been defeated," declared Deep Thought. "Two remain."
"Wait, what?" asked Ryuko. "Somebody beat us there? When we were this close?"
"Yeah," said Holly, her mouth hanging open slightly. "I… I guess they did."
"But how?" protested the girl in the Kamui.
"Well, there's no denying we got a little sidetracked, regardless of whose fault it was," observed Katniss.
"Yeah," mumbled Ryuko. "But I wonder exactly what sort of team had it together enough to pull it off."
"That would be us," said Alucard, appearing suddenly behind Holly, who leapt almost high enough to convince her team members that her mechanical wings were not critically damaged as she had claimed. When several weapons were instantly trained on him, he merely patted the girl slung over his shoulder.
"What are you doing with Mikasa?" growled Katniss, holding an incendiary arrow at the ready. "Using her as a hostage?"
"No," replied Twilight, teleporting alongside her allies. "She is in no condition to walk."
"YOU BROKE HER LEGS?!" cried Ruby with horror.
"No, no, no," laughed Twilight, waving the comment off with her hoof. "She hurt herself defeating the VIW."
"So it really was you guys," acknowledged Holly. Twilight nodded.
"That's right. And if you want to settle things with me, now is the time."
"As a matter of fact, we do," said the elf, popping her knuckles. "Change of plans, ladies and gentlemen," she continued, turning to her team. "We're going to make a unicorn cry."
Twilight turned to her companion. "Alucard, I want you to take Mikasa as far away as you can. Keep her safe. And no matter how good you decide she looks in her uniform, do not turn her."
"Yes, Miss Sparkle," said the revenant, slipping back through the ground.
"That's real honorable," chuckled Ryuko. "Sending away the immortal guy so we can all gang up on you."
"Gang up on me?" smiled Twilight smugly. "Not quite."
A shower of blue sparks tore the air above them in two. A thin, young girl emerged from them and began to float gently to the ground. She wore a blue, loose-fitting, sleeveless martial arts robe with a white sash around her abdomen. A thin, tapered stick had been slipped under the sash, perpendicular to the edge with exact detail. Around her neck, she wore a wide collar-shoulder-pad combination which supported a flowing cape. The exaggerated shoulder pads extended far past her comparatively small shoulders, creating the effect of a much larger presence. A black headband held back a head of wavy brown hair, and a boxy white device sat over her left ear and extended a red eyepiece over her left eye. Over her right arm was a silvery band with a sunken-in portion that could have been a screen. Simple cloth shoes lighted on the ground without a flourish.
The sparks and the armband were immediately familiar to Katniss.
Just like that Artemis guy.
"Hello, there, Twilight," she smiled. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has, Hermione," replied the unicorn, sounding surprised. "You're... looking… different."
"Later," hissed Hermione. "I'll talk about it later."
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" snarled Ryuko, pointing her Scissor Blade straight at the newcomer's face.
"My name is Hermione Granger. That is all I can tell you for now."
"Just the same as Twilight- 'That's all I can tell you'," grumbled Holly. "Well, we're going to get answers out of you, too."
Hermione ignored her comment and turned to Twilight. "Shall I?"
"Be my guest."
The girl nodded and floated skyward again, surrounded by a barely-visible shimmering, like a mirage, which caused her cape to dance as if it had caught a breeze.
"Initiating analysis procedures," she declared, touching a button on her bulky earpiece. "Scanning. Seven targets identified. Commencing individual analysis."
"What is she doing?" asked Ruby, staring up.
"I don't know," replied Holly. "But it can't be good."
"Subject one," continued Hermione. "Holly Short. Elf, subtype gamma. Magical reserve system with limited applications. Excellent small-arms marksmanship. Superior piloting abilities. Advanced martial arts training. Below-average damage tolerance. Regeneration. Power level fluctuating below three thousand. Threat level above average."
"Above Average?" snorted Holly. "Huh. Makes sense. She definitely got the piloting bit right."
"Subject two. Katniss Everdeen. Human. Superior marksmanship with most weapon systems. Excellent close-quarters combat abilities. Ansatsuken martial arts training. Advanced survival training. Currently equipped with advanced combat armor. Heightened adrenal gland function. Combat adaptability- requires further study. Power level fluctuating between eight hundred and one thousand. Threat level undetermined. More data required. Estimates low."
"You sure are weird, Katniss," said Ruby.
Katniss nodded. "Apparently."
"Subject three. Adam Frankenstein."
Adam shuddered a little bit at his full name.
"Composite artificial human, biological. Large physical mass. Above average physical strength. Superior durability. Mild regeneration. Superior mental faculties and concept-practice learning speed. Power level stable, nine hundred thirty-four. Threat level average."
"Me next! Me next!" shouted Ruby, hopping up and down. Hermione looked down with a stern glare until she stopped jumping, then continued.
"Subject four. Ruby Rose. Human. Possesses natural passive magic ability for temporary enhancement of speed. Trained in advanced unorthodox combat techniques. Superior knowledge of unorthodox weapon types. Power level stable, nine hundred seventy. Threat level above average."
"Now there's some words I never thought I'd hear. 'Ruby' and 'Superior knowledge'." Ryuko snipped.
"Yeah, me neither," said Ruby.
"Subject five. Ryuko Matoi. Life-Fiber enhanced human. Superior physical strength and speed. Superior damage tolerance. Symbiotic relationship with Life Fiber organism Kamui Senketsu. Activation of Kamui Senketsu further enhances speed and strength, enables flight. Variable nature of Life Fibers allows for multiple configurations of garment and wearer. Superior close-combat abilities. Power level fluctuating in excess of… oh… that's a ten- twenty, no it's a fifty, now- no, it's…"
"Watch this," whispered Ryuko to her teammates. She flexed her muscles and grunted angrily.
"Now it's climbing faster- it's at three, no, four-" gasped Hermione. "Power level unreadable. Threat level extreme."
"Ha-ha!" said the girl, throwing a victorious fist into the air. "How about them apples?"
"She's not done yet," warned Twilight.
"Subjects six and seven. Simon the Digger and Kamina of Jeeha Village. Human. Skilled Gunmen pilots. Superior Spiral Energy conduits. Conducted Spiral Energy can enhance the performance of any piloted Gunmen. Subject six power level fluctuating between ten and twelve thousand. Subject seven power level fluctuating between eight and nine thousand. Threat level while piloting the Gunmen Gurren Lagann extreme."
"How does she know all of this about us? We only just met these chicks," asked Kamina.
"I don't know," whispered Simon. "But it's got me worried."
"Hah!" shouted Ryuko back up to them. "I still win!"
"Analysis complete," Hermione announced. "I'll take the three highest."
"Wait, what?" queried Holly.
"We're splitting this up," said Twilight. "Hermione's going to go fight some of you and I'll fight the rest."
"That's right," confirmed Hermione, dialing coordinates into her AEGIS. She disappeared the way she had come, but this time, Ryuko and the Gurren Lagann disappeared as well.
"That's not fair at all," growled Holly. "They were my strongest fighters. They were going to make kicking the answers out of you really easy."
"Your remaining warriors should be sufficient."
Holly scratched her head. "You say that like you think you're going to lose."
Twilight simply smiled, waving the remaining four on.
Katniss turned to Holly, shrugged, and knocked the incendiary arrow she had been planning to use for Alucard.
"Your little game ends here," warned the elf, changing the setting on her Neutrino.
"Yes," whispered Twilight. "It does."