daybreakacademy | Operation Azure - The Collision of Thunderstorms

Operation Azure - The Collision of Thunderstorms

Who: Gunvolt, Desidera, Vivi, Lia, Rex, Jailbreak, Ky Kiske
What: Putting a stop to Asimov and rescuing Monarch one last time.
When: December 16
Where: A mountainous region of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
Warnings: Fighting, violence, revenge, imprisonment of an AI, and foul language. Probably death too.

Briefing:

Gunvolt had taken the time to put together the materials he had, and procured one of the smaller rooms for it. Unlike Asimov, his briefing wasn't going to more professionally in depth, as he didn't have the time or resources to craft it. All he really has is a map of Germany, and a few printed out pictures taped to a whiteboard behind him. Normally this probably wouldn't be a job given to a student, but GV had insisted on being allowed to present this, seeing as he was the one who gathered the intel. And was the... well, former, now, QUILL agent. He pulled a mundane metal pointer out from behind the lectern and circled a location in the southwestern portion of Germany, in the mountains.

"So, what I got from my contact is that Asimov and a handful of QUILL agents from the German branch of our group have procured an old broadcast tower that's been mothballed for several years. Apparently, their activity there has spiked since Operation Icarus, with agents and small quantities of materiel being moved there every day since. It looks like Asimov is taking his time, probably not looking to draw too much attention to it until he's ready. My contact believes that he may be trying to reactivate the broadcast tower, though he didn't know why. I didn't tell him about Monarch's AI Core, though. The fewer people that know about her at this point, the better."

Frankly, he was sick and tired of people wanting to use her, so keeping her presence on the down-low off of campus was probably a good idea, unless Monarch herself wanted it. Either way, he then pointed to an old black and white photo of the broadcast tower, probably taken when it was still relatively new.

"But I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what he's up to. Most of you will probably remember that Monarch's AI Core has a limited broadcast range for her ability to detect Candles, and that Sumeragi are trying to keep that sort of thing quiet themselves. We at QUILL thought that Sumeragi didn't try to broadcast Monarch's sonar over long range because it could be detected by outside forces, including possibly mundane ones. It'd draw a lot of attention. ...But given how far off the deep end Asimov seems to have gone, I think he's all but stopped caring about that. Or maybe he's got some kind of explanation ready. Hell if I know right now. All I know is that he's probably going to use Monarch's sonar to locate every Candle within a few thousand miles of here. Given Asimov's goals, he'll probably try to indoctrinate as many of them as he can before Nightfall."

Gunvolt's expression darkened at the thought, though he did his best to keep that much hidden. Even just thinking about Asimov was angrying up his blood, and he had to keep it under control for the sake of the mission.

"Speaking of, he's one of our targets for this mission." GV pointed at a series of pictures taken of him while he was at Daybreak Academy. "You already know who he is, but I'm here to tell you what I know about him. Which, as it turns out... wasn't much." There's only a little bitterness in his voice as he says it. Just a little. "What I do know about how he fights is that he's a master-class marksman. He's the one who taught me how to shoot. He can shoot just about anything, from a pistol to an anti-materiel rifle and everything in between, and hit his target with ease. Honestly, he's so good, it's... almost scary. Remember when I mentioned that he shot out the leg of a Mantis tank with one shot? That wasn't an exaggeration.

Also, I found out the hard way that he's also a Candle. And apparently has been as long as I've known him. He never once told me about or used his powers in combat. The only thing I know he can do with his powers is channel some lightning. ...Looked a lot like what I can do. But I don't know how much he can really do. So we're going to be finding that out the hard way. Expect him to at least try to zap you. And if he's not zapping you, he'll probably shoot you.

His normal combat loadout is his personally modified anti-materiel rifle, which can fire normal rounds, as well as custom-tooled magical ones. I've only seen him use lightning rounds to disable machines and overload power grids from a distance, but I'm sure he's got more than just that. He's also at least got his personal revolver, which... it's chambered in .357 Magnum. It's no joke. Don't get shot by it. It hurts. A lot. And he probably has orichalcum bullets."

He grimaces as he says it, and while he tried to keep it in a sense of dark humor, it still rubs a mental wound that's still raw.

"There will also be at least a few QUILL field agents deployed with him. ...Most of them won't be a threat. Zeno and I were the top-tier agents beyond Asimov himself, and most of the regular guys are probably just there to work on the tower. They might try to stop us. Maybe. If they do, try not to kill them. I don't think they're anymore in the know about Asimov's true nature as I was. Just... try to disable them nonlethally. I'd rather not hurt anyone unnecessarily." ...Except Asimov. He wants to hurt him quite badly.

"Anyway... the most important thing is that we free Monarch again, and get her out of Asimov's hands. That takes priority over everything else. Free Monarch so Asimov can't use her, and then we can deal with him at any time." That's the plan, anyway. But... Gunvolt knows very well there's probably no way to get to Monarch without going through Asimov. "We're moving out as soon as all of you are ready. Let's get this over with."

Arrival

Touchdown near the broadcast tower was actually fairly easy, thanks to one of the stealthier Rune Wings in Daybreak's employ. Though it wouldn't be a surprise attack, as it happened. Even if Gunvolt was one of QUILL's best agents, that didn't mean the rest of them were stupid either. Once the team got close, a few of the QUILL agents would approach them, weapons out but not raised, and motioning them to halt. ...Most of these people looked like kids. Except the shifty looking woman in the gas mask, which brought a lot of curiosity.

The lead of the three agents stepped forward and spoke in German. "Excuse me. This is a restricted area. We're going to have to ask you to leave."

"Stand aside, Hartmut." Gunvolt replied, stepping forward out of the group. All three of the guards turned white as a sheet, all of the blood rushing from their faces at once. They looked like they just saw a ghost. "...I've got an appointment with Asimov. Right now."

"GV?! You're alive?! My God, we all thought you were dead! Asimov said you were killed in action by a Glaive Soldier!"

"Yeah, well. I'm in front of you, aren't I?"

"Aw, man! Asimov's going to be thrilled to see you okay. He's been out of sorts since Operation Icarus. We figured it was because he was taking what happened really hard. ...To say nothing of Moniqa and Zeno. Moniqa's been putting on a tough face, but we know she's not been doing well. And Zeno? Man, I don't think I've ever seen him so serious. Do they know you're okay yet?"

"No. I'll tell them once I'm done with the boss."

"GV... are... are you okay? You seem pretty upset. You've usually been reserved, but not this short. ...What even happened to you, anyway?"

"...It's a long story. I'll tell you later. For now, I need to see Asimov. Take me to him."

The agent looked between the two others and nodded, an actual sense of relief building between them. They legitimately seemed relieved to have their comrade back, alive and well. "Yeah, sure. Come on, you and your friends are welcome to see him. Man, he's going to be psyched that you're alive. I really can't wait to see his face."

"Yeah. Me too." Gunvolt did his best to conceal the bitterness and anger in his chest in that statement, but the sentiment was genuine; just not in the way Hartmut had intended it. Either way, the three soldiers led the group past a couple of more agents who quickly folded into the group once they saw Gunvolt was alive and well. They too, wanted to see Asimov's reaction.
Asimov, for his part, was standing in a paved area just outside the broadcast tower; there looked like a large console had been hauled in, with several, long thick wires running from it to the base of the broadcast tower. At the moment, it looked like Asimov was speaking to someone over the console on a video call, a small hologram broadcast in front of him. On the call were a young man and young woman, both wearing QUILL uniforms.

"Yes, the operation is almost complete. Looking forward to it being finished. If it works, it will give us better communications coverage. I know you've been looking forward to that, Moniqa."

"...Yeah."

"Boss! Boss! I know you're on a call and all, but we've got a surprise for you! You gotta see this! It's GV! He's alive!"

Both figures on the hologram practically jump out of their seats in shock when they overhear Hartmut talking. "What?!"

"...Hartmut, April Fools' Day isn't for another four months, and it still wouldn't be funny." Asimov bitterly replied, without turning around.

"I'm serious boss, look!" The agent motioned to Gunvolt, and his group of friends.

"...You greatly exaggerated the rumors of my death, Boss."

"Oi, GV! Wha--"

"...I'll call you both back." Asimov unceremoniously hung up on Zeno and Moniqa, and glanced back over his shoulder at Gunvolt, as well as the crew he brought with him. And his other agents. "...What sorcery is this, GV?"

The QUILL guards all looked instantly confused by Asimov's reaction; they surely hadn't expected him to sound so... cold. So... hostile. What was even going on here? Hartmut, for his part, could feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck.

"Boss... uh... what's. What's going on here?"

"Detain them. Now."

"Boss? Why...?"

"What's the matter, Asimov? You not going to tell them how you shot me, left me for dead, and took Monarch for yourself? Or are you just gonna keep up this horsejitt forever?"

Asimov turned around fully to stare down at Gunvolt, his expression hardened, his body tightened and tense. The five QUILL soldiers all looked agog at the accusation Gunvolt just leveled against Asimov... and more to the point, that Asimov didn't immediately deny it, but instead, kept silent for a number of unpleasant, heavy seconds.

"Well?!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[If you happen to have any, GV's there to answer. If you want to use this space for any threads prior to mission dust-off, it's that's good too.]

Once the briefing is done, Rex takes a moment to address everyone and hand out some goodies- no time to produce some customised gadgets, sadly, but he has some generic stuff.

"One each," he says as he hands out little green blobs which look a great deal like detergent pods, though they're a little more sturdy. A good squeeze will pop it. "The fluid is a healing potion. Apply the liquid directly to an injury and it'll help. I emphasise help- they won't be bringing you back from the dead or growing back any limbs. I'll be doing my best to stay out of harm's way so I can handle anything these can't."

"And one of these too-" At which point everyone gets a similar, red pod. "Instant barrier. Pop it and you'll have two seconds of protection- they're not invincible but based on what I gleaned from GV's injuries, they should be able to block attacks of that calibre... unless they're orichalcum, so use them wisely."

After a moment, he adds- "I also have snacks, if anyone gets hungry on the way."

Edited 2019-12-17 00:45 (UTC)

"...Should've put the second one between your eyes. Too sentimental. Won't make that mistake again." Lightning crackled between his fingers, and quickly leapt from it to his field agents, electrocuting them in one fell swoop, making them drop their weapons, and collapse helplessly. Smoke curled from several of them, and none of them so much as moved. Whether or not they were dead, they were in very bad shape. He looked between the team he brought with him, the blue lenses of his sunglasses flaring ominously in the light. Most of the same one he took on both missions; some on only one. "So. That's your game; siding with them to keep things as they are. That's not going to do at all. You know very well where the world's headed, Gunvolt. But I suppose... that's all there is. You've cast your lot. With rogues, with daemons, with the same humans that would use us."

He reached up and slowly removed his sunglasses, crushing them in his hands. An illusion he had maintained around his eyes faded, and revealed a very telling, and familiar, look. Asimov's sclera were a deep, dark pitch, and his irises vibrant azure. Lightning began crackling around all of his limbs, and the air itself felt practically ionized.

Gunvolt drew his weapon, but couldn't hide a faint look of surprise.

"Well... that's new. The hell is up with that, Asimov?"

"You'll quickly understand that you aren't the only one worthy of the name Azure Striker. For all the good it'll do you." Asimov reached behind him and bolts of lightning struck the console, and suddenly a familiar voice began to sing; a song almost dissonant and operatic. Monarch's voice rang out from somewhere deep inside the machine, and with her notes in the air, a cyan flame erupted around Asimov. "...Monarch picked up a nice trick. Now see the power you refused, Gunvolt."

Asimov threw his hand forward, the clouds above in the sky growing dark in an instant, and a massive radiant lightning bolt struck down from the heavens, aiming to scatter the group. The lightning blast will leave a sizeable crater behind. You really don't want to get hit by it.

Edited 2019-12-16 21:14 (UTC)

While avoiding getting struck by the bolt itself was an obvious priority, the bolt also came down with enough force to throw debris all around as it left its mark on the ground, and it would have required that that be responded to as well. However, any debris that could have struck GV or any of the others that were with him was all blocked as each member of the group was—for that moment—shielded by a now-familiar darkness.

(Hartmut and the other two agents that were there with him were shielded as well, to keep them from being injured any more than they already were.)

Following this, Desidera quickly glanced around to make sure that everyone else was alright, then just as quickly focused her attention on Asimov, watching to see what his next move might be, but not taking any further action just yet. She was well aware that anything she did would paint a target on her back, if her mere existence didn't do so already.

Lia's eyes snap towards the console when Asimov reached behind him, and then they narrowed when Monarch's voice started coming out of it. So, mark that down as a target. If only to get Monarch out of there... Lia's not sure if she wants to think about what might be happening.

But all of a sudden, Asimov is speaking again and Lia is gritting her teeth. To think, she'd gotten fond of him in their brief interactions before... It makes her a little sick to think about. She doesn't have a lot more time to dwell on it when the sky grows dark. She's glad she already went ahead and transformed, because she's teleporting out of the way of the bolt when it comes down.

... Is that a crater?!

"Are you kidding me right now?!"

She's grateful for Desi's shielding at the debris, using the opportunity to summon her usual pair of pistols to her hands. But, much like Desidera, she doesn't take action yet. Her reasoning is different though--it's a matter of where to start, and whether or not she wants to provoke a gunfight with the master marksman.

He could feel it - the way the building static ran up his spine - he considered and distracted the idea of redirecting the bolt, he could tell before it strikes that it was far too powerful for him to neutralize or throw right back at Asimov. Instead, he opted to grab the nearest person to yank back out of range. "Cover your eyes!" He warns, knowing it'd be a blinding sight.

"Damn it..." He curses under his breath as he unsheathes his sword, pointing it right at the man. "I'd say surrender, but it is clear that we are not speaking to a man who is still capable of reason." His voice was low, terse - his eyes glancing to the electrocuted agents.

Edited 2019-12-17 00:08 (UTC)

Rex has once again made it a point to be support unless he needs to step up on the offensive. He's the only with the healing again, it seems, so it seems the best option. As such, he's gotten a good idea of who can do what before the mission really started. His reaction, therefore, isn't to dash off when the bolt starts forming, it's to move those who he knows can't dodge something on that scale (looking at you, Vivi, maybe Jail?) so easily and stepping to grab them- there's no one on the team he can't easily carry off under his arms while zipping around at full flight speed.

"Oh, that's interesting," says Rex, his usual indifferent and calm tone in the face of danger carrying a hint of energy. Rex is already working out the best way to counter that, or use it himself- or maybe just come up with a signature blast move of his own. He damps down the growing hint of his T H R I L L as best he can by reminding himself the fight has just begun and by focusing on the music in his helmet for a 1/4 second.

His 'ears' scan the agents, to see if any of them are worth saving.

Vivi is not only easy to pick up (he is quite literally as light as a child-sized mannequin at best) but is also perfectly fine with letting it happen. Instead of his metal bat, he has a staff in hand - still rough, but he'd tested it enough before he came on this mission that he's pretty sure it's not going to do that thing that guy told him once would happen and explode.

He pulls down the brim of his hat to block the brightness of the lightning strike. Magic gathers in the gem set in his staff, but otherwise he has nothing to say (yet) besides glaring in Asimov's direction.

Vivi generally finds it hard to hate people. But that crackling anger seething inside him at Asimov hasn't gone away; in fact, it's gotten worse.

[Oh, Rex. It's adorable that you think Jail can't dodge this, but she's already vanished.]

[...no, seriously, where is she?]

[Before the lightning strikes, Jail's smiling... and when it clears, there's no sign of her at all. It's as though she's simply disappeared.]

[Behind the console, crouched down out of sight and tensed to spring at the slightest hint that she's been caught, she silently raises a single finger to her lips and winks. Just in case Monarch can see her.]

[Let's see how long she has before Asimov catches on.]

Gunvolt lunged forward out of the way of the lightning blast, drawing his Dart Leader and taking immediate aim at Asimov. At this point, he wasn't going to hesitate. Lia might be reticent to fire the first shot, for good reason, but at this point, Gunvolt was ready to fight, and he knew very well he was high on Asimov's shit list. And that was fine by him, because the feeling was more than mutual.

Gunvolt fired a series of bolts at Asimov in quick succession, all impeccably aimed, and would hit his former mentor square between the eyes. That much was about sending a message. Unfortunately for Gunvolt, Asimov pulled a similar trick against him that'd he'd been using more lately. Asimov seemed to phase between the darts and they harmlessly passed through him like they were never there.

"You always were a fast learner. Already learning from my mistakes. Bravo, GV." Asimov couldn't sound more smug if he tried, and he was just shy of clapping sarcastically. "But I'll tell you what happened to me."

The area around Asimov flared into a sphere of lightning, just like Gunvolt's Flashfield typically operated.

"Sumeragi. Sumeragi happened to me, and as such matters surrounding them have always been... personal."

He rushed down Gunvolt in the blink of an eye, slamming into him with his active Flashfield and sending him flying back, before the boy skidded across the ground. GV scrambled back to his feet, still in one piece... his own blue lightning flickering over his skin.

"Far be it from me to tell you to get over it. Any sympathy I might've had for you died on that helipad."

Asimov simply threw out one hand, and lightning arced from his Flashfield at everyone around, lashing about to force them defensive, or get struck. His mastery of where it would go seemed even higher than GV's, even if he'd gotten better over the past year or so.

"I was the first, Gunvolt. The first one of them. I know you have one of them now, back at the Academy now. She's as broken as they come. And there are those worse off than her, left in Sumeragi's employ." While the lightning from his Flashfield danced around the group, trying to strike whoever it could, he reached behind his back for his rifle. He chambered a round one-handed, letting gravity do some of the work. "I was the first. And I was the first to escape. And only one. You've all seen it now. Why it must be stopped for good. But I suppose the company you keep wouldn't understand just how deep the rot goes. So it's time to start cutting it out."

Asimov leveled the rifle, specifically toward Desidera, and fired one of his lightning rounds at her. At the point of impact, the shell would explode into bolts that would jump across the ground, spreading nearby. He chambers another round blazingly fast, and fires it toward Ky, and then a third at Gunvolt.

A number of the bolts from that Flashfield seemed to be aimed specifically at Desidera, forcing her to stay on the move, but at the same time it provided her a number of shadows that she would take but not make any immediate use of, both to not reveal that she was taking them and to save them for when they were needed.

Then Asimov aimed that rifle at her.

The problem with actual bullets was that they tended to be faster than fireballs, and usually by a rather considerable margin, so she barely had the time to react compared to the fight with Viper before. She quickly shielded herself to avoid being hit directly, but with her barrier being formed from one of the same shadows she had just taken control of, and as such still touching the ground, the bolts that followed the impact were still able to reach the ground themselves to spread out, forcing her to move again—fast—if she didn't want to be shocked.

She wasn't sure if she could stop the other two shots from reaching their own targets, and while that was concerning for obvious reasons, she suspected that Ky and GV were both prepared for it.

It may be for the better if she keeps on the move, she's realizing. She doesn't like the idea of being put on the defensive right from the start like this, but it seems almost necessary. Well, at least she could run or teleport and shoot.

She's not sure how effective it's going to be, but she decides to unload her guns on Asimov. Not that she's staying in one place. No, with every shot taken, she's making sure she's not in the same spot. If she's making herself a target like this, she's going to make herself an annoying one.

Edited 2019-12-17 12:06 (UTC)

"Hmm. This is a bit irritating," says Rex, keeping Vivi under his arm for a moment longer as he holds his other hand out, palm up. The spherical barrier he's thrown up crackles when struck but holds quite nicely. "We really shouldn't have taken two electricity users on this mission, it makes it very hard to reduce his effectiveness without hampering ourselves."

Vivi is put down gently, with a 'stay close' gesture. Vivi is back row material by necessity, Rex by choice, so staying together for defensive purposes seems a good choice.

"Well, lessons for next time I suppose," he says as he links his fingers and cracks his knuckles. Time to get White Mage up in here. First things first- Jail isn't anywhere obvious, so she's probably doing something nefarious. Good. As for everyone else in the line of fire... It's buff time! He thrusts one arm out at Desi and one at Gunvolt. Each one gets a shimmering blue aura- it's a speed boost, increasing their reactions. Everyone will get some kind of boost in time, but he only has so many hands. Note to self, build extra hands.

Vivi has learned some things from his fight with Viper, mostly things like 'if you get close, people might kick or hit you, and that hurts a lot', so he's happy to stay where he is right now. He understands a little better that it doesn't help his friends if they have to worry about him while fighting close up.

So, when he's put down, he obediently sticks close to Rex, bringing up his staff, juggling it between his hands as he prepares to cast a spell. He's not sure if the wiggly juggling motion is really necessary, but it feels good, and he's kinda just making this up as he goes along, so he thinks it's fine?

While Asimov is shooting at people (very rude and bad), he fires back a shot of his own - a fiery bolt that he's put enough magic into to burn blue and white instead of red. It blends in with the lightning Asimov and Gunvolt are throwing around, and he hopes that'll be enough to scorch him at least a little.

[Pulling on a pair of tall rubber gloves- she'd rather not be too conductive, considering how much lightning has been hitting this machine- and silently slipping some tools out of her pocket, Jailbreak gets to work.]

[She examines the machine carefully, both with her mundane expertise and the eyes of a Seer, searching for hints as to how it's all connected, how it functions, and most importantly: how Monarch's AI core is connected to it, and how to disconnect her safely.]

[She has to move carefully in order to stay undetected, but even so she's moving fast. After all, this isn't her first rodeo.]

Ky somersaulted into the air as the bolts hit and spread trying to use his own magic to redirect the crackling orbs to shoot harmlessly up and away.

Once back on his feet, he strafes around before lunging in close, trying to deny Asimov the advantage of range. "Your circumstances are pitiful - worthy of sympathy - but you are a hypocrite and no better than the ones who did this to you."

Gunvolt double-jumped into the air to avoid the impact of the lightning shell at his location, illusionary feathers bursting from his feet as he did so. Rex's buff helped him get well ahead of the shot, and get considerably more air in doing so. Using his modified runic boots he air-dashed to the side and slowed his descent with his Flashfield to keep above the raging storm below.

Gunvolt directed arcs of lightning toward Asimov; darts or no, he'd learned in no small part thanks to Ky how to make his power bend to his will more reliably. The darts now mostly served to amplify it. But for what it was worth, the lightning bolts barely looked like they managed to tickle Asimov, save for a slight change in expression to something a little more akin to annoyance.

Fortunately, Asimov is fixated enough on his charge and most of his friends that Jail's absence has still remained unnoticed. The console Asimov has there is quite complex and rigged with plenty of security; obviously, he didn't want anyone tampering with it, even his own agents. Deeper inside it in a hidden compartment is Monarch's AI Core, and fortunately, despite Asimov being a madman, he didn't rig the device with an explosive. Probably didn't want to risk damaging Monarch. That said, there's still traps in there; alarms, and possibly even an electric shock trap or two. Any of those could alert Asimov to her presence if tripped, but seeing as how she's a professional, care and precision might be enough to get by it.

Vivi's flaming bolt mixes quite well with all the lightning and visual chaos going on, and though Asimov's Flashfield could serve as quite a barrier from many projectiles, it spent a lot more time blocking or trying to interfere with Gunvolt's lightning than he would've anticipated. The fireball punches through the outer wall of the Flashfield, and manages to strike Asimov in the center of it, though he managed to raise his arm fast enough to block a full-body shot.

That stung quite a bit, and actually surprised the Candle that such an attack could pierce his boosted barrier and even his Prevasion. A good lesson; as powerful as Monarch's anthem might be, it surely did not make one invincible. Lesson learned, and Asimov wasn't about to let a threat go unanswered.

Rather suddenly, Asimov is faced up close by Ky, who quickly blocks a swing of his sword with his rifle; rather oddly, the rifle doesn't give or even appear to be damaged. Whatever it's made out of, it seems like it's built for durability and ruggedness. He pushed back against Ky's sword, his strength, like Elise's, disproportionate to his size.

"Professor Kiske. GV's spoken a lot about you. Practically wouldn't keep his mouth shut, singing your praises constantly. I wonder, was it you who helped make him so much more willful? Because he said something not unlike that just before I shot him."

At that, Asimov throws forward a sphere of almost white lightning, crackling and vicious, at Ky, trying to push him away or punish him for staying close. Either way, he would see distance put between anyone getting in close, and thanks to Monarch's song, it was much easier for him to do just that. He leapt into the air, forward toward Rex and Vivi, firing a shot from his rifle down at them before landing nearby and drawing his revolver.

"And to think, Daybreak even is using Black Mages, on top of daemons. Keeping a ticking time bomb like this as a 'friend', GV? It's only a matter of time before he turns on you and your whole school and levels the place."

His eyes glowed a malicious bright blue, seemingly ready to shock Vivi on the spot, but instead, he turned his revolver on Rex, firing three rounds at him up close. Fortunately, they weren't orichalcum, but were closer to conventional; though their muzzle velocity outstripped the caliber Gunvolt warned them about. Seemed the runes in it allowed him to increase the weapon's power even using conventional cartridges.

He then spun his aim toward Vivi, only to be interrupted by being pelted by blasts from Lia, whose unpredictable movements and rapid shots seemed to be confusing his Prevasion. Several shots passed through him like he was a ghost, but a handful managed to land, stopped by his runic armor, but enough to rock him and miss his close range shot at the mage.

Gunvolt nearly panicked when he realized Asimov was about to get into Vivi and Rex's face. He figured Rex could handle himself up close; Rex was pretty unshakable in every situation, and he probably already had a plan, but he couldn't risk that plan not working, much less with Vivi right there too.

"Get the hell away from Vivi!"

Gunvolt's airdash put him closer to the two, and from the air, he unleashed a large sphere of lightning between Asimov and his to friends; something even more intense than his Flashfield. Orbs of lightning within swirled violently, looking to lash out at Asimov if he was stupid enough to stay in range.

Which he wasn't, jumping back and away and casually shooting his revolver back at Desidera, almost in direct punishment for Gunvolt intervening.

"Astrasphere... how much stronger it is now than when you left. You truly did defy my expectations. Such a waste."

Once Asimov took aim at her again, she was moving. Being put on the defensive so quickly again was a bit more than annoying, but after all of the events of the previous week, she would rather be the one he was targeting instead of GV; if he ended up getting hurt again—or worse—then there was a pretty good chance that all hell would break loose. With the retaliation being directed to her rather than to GV, there wasn't much doubt that Asimov had taken note of how closely the two had worked together on both of the previous missions, but whether he was making any assumptions because of their tendency toward working together was currently unknown.

Even with her speed and reactions improved with Rex's support, however, Asimov was still, in GV's words, a master-class marksman; though it wasn't a direct hit, one of the shots fired toward her grazed her right arm, going right across the tattoo that identified the mage family that she came from. With a pained hiss, she covered the wound with her other hand, not directly touching it so that hand would still cast a shadow, then taking the shadow and using it for a bandage. She didn't want to have to use the potion pod that Rex had given her, not yet.

The other shadows that she had previously taken began pooling together into a single larger whole, but that combined shadow otherwise did nothing yet, as she began looking for some kind of opening. With it still being on the ground, and with Asimov's attention being focused on the team as a whole, it was unlikely that it would be noticed.

Rex indeed had a plan for just about everything. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come in the first place. His buffs are done and should last a few minutes now, so he has both hands free- one for wide bubble barrier around both himself and Vivi and a second, smaller and stronger, just around the younger mage. That turns out to be an incorrect choice, the bullets stretching the outer barrier like fingers in cling film. Two drop straight down, one has pushed it to the limit. Its slowed down considerably but when the bubble pops it hits his chest. He feels a rib break, but you wouldn't know it to look at him. "Urgh. Shot again."

No one ever says 'get the hell away from Rex', Rex thinks. I can die too, you know.

Rex snorts in annoyance as Asimov backs off- what a wasted chance to punch him in the throat. Probably for the best. If he moves around too much now, he's going to put a hole in his lung, but he does his best to make it look like he's been completely unaffected by the whole thing. The helmet helps- no one can see him sweat. He speaks to Vivi, trying to keep strain out of his voice. "You okay?"

Asimov is quick. Quick as lightning. Rex isn't a vindictive sort, but he's quickly getting the urge to put Asimov in his place. What's faster than that? While he ponders, he uses one hand to start applying a quick fix to his rib and the other to thrust a hand at Ky- this time a yellow aura, a more independent, skin bound barrier made to soak up energy. Certainly not immunity, but it'll reduce potential damage from the electricity flying around without neutralising Ky's. All the while his helmet's ears rotate rapidly. One is solidly locked on Asimov, trying to predict his next moves based on the readings. The other swivels rapidly between his teammates, ready to throw a spell their way.

[Jail's hands move nimbly over the machinery, opening panels and twisting wires and rerouting channels with the smooth, swift ease of a virtuoso pianist at the keys.]

[She doesn't make a sound as she identifies and dismantles trap after trap, working at the sort of breakneck pace that leaves no room for error, no chance to halt your momentum before it carries you over the brink.]

[Three traps left... two... one...]

[Now.]

[Her hand darts out, so fast it's almost a blur, and snatches the AI core out of the console. She misses the trap by a hair's breath, avoiding disaster with a second to spare, and hastily does one last sweep of the core for traps before she stuffs Monarch in her pocket and bolts.]

[The area around Asimov is largely empty except for the console itself, no cover to hide her escape, so she doesn't try to run back past him, towards their own forces. Instead, she crouches low as she moves, continuing to use the console to block herself from view as she heads in a straight line back away from the fight, hoping to get far out enough to find some better cover and circle back around.]

Those words are enough to set his whole world spinning. This man knows what he is, or at least, what he might be - or where there are others like him.

He's not alone. But at the same time, there are those like him who are being used, or pushed, or manipulated (he can't bring himself to consider any other alternative, otherwise it's the same as being alone anyway), who didn't get to choose the way he did.

(Did someone like Asimov push their own ideals onto them, punish the ones who resisted, the same thing Asimov is doing to everyone else?

Such a waste, says Asimov, and that rage burns, stokes itself higher.)

He pushes it down for now. But that swirling anger, that strange fog in his mind, is getting harder and harder to ignore; he's not sure what will happen if it 'bursts'.

"I'm-- I'm okay." Rex took a bullet, after all, when protecting him. He's worried, so he'll stick close. "I'll try to protect you this time."

He tries something different this time, with his new staff - trying to establish a connection between him and Asimov so he can start leeching all that power off him. He's misusing it, he shouldn't have it - he needs to do something about it, make that lightning less so.

What she's doing seems to be working--well enough, at least, so Lia's not especially inclined to stop. When her pistols are empty, she chucks them both in the air. The weapons shatter in mid-air into white shards, which rain down on Asimov. She summons another pair of guns to her hands to resume her rain of gunfire.

She's trying to not focus too hard on what Asimov's saying--she needs to keep a clear head. She's not sure what'll happen if she lets that slip.

As rifle and sword met with a loud ringing clang, he presses forward - a hand suddenly lunging for a punch against the side of Asimov's face before he's forced back - grunting as he could feel the blow, though it was lessened by Rex's timely intervention.

"His ideas are his own, Asimov." The blue lightning crackling around him suddenly turned a violet hue as he throws his head up, bangs falling from his right eye, the blue-green morphing into a volcano red-hue. "As his instructor - no, as a decent person, it is my duty to render unto you due punishment for betraying him." His voice rumbles, as his blade vanishes under a crackle of violet glow before unleashing it - instead of an orb, it moved like a serpent, darting and jerking towards the man.

A - Briefing Questions / Readying Up

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B - Thunderstorm, continuing at the end of the post

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