Discovery #36

[saikyocivrobo]

Damnit. I am not going to let that happen to my gaming buddy! Another point on my ever-increasing To Do list: "save Gainer".

[Werter walks down the corridor towards the deck with a determined expression, Prometheus running after him.]

I'm taking Prometheus to the Yapan Exodus settlement. I'm going to ask the Five Wise Men all they know about the Overdevil. Or should I say, the Three Wise Men And One Wise Woman... Doesn't matter. If there's anyone who knows how to destroy it, it's them. That thing is going down!

Comments

[hobo_lantern]

Huh, what happened with that gamer guy?

[saikyocivrobo]

Not much. He just got kidnapped by an ancient machine of evil, just like his girl friend before.

[hobo_lantern]

I'm really jealous.

[saikyocivrobo]

Why? Because he got kidnapped?

[hobo_lantern]

I feel cheated by you. Is this what they call jealousy?

[saikyocivrobo]

Hey, don't you remember how I went to your help when you needed it?

...Okay, I guess you don't. Stupid artificially-induced amnesia.

[hobo_lantern]

Anyway, this overdevil thing sounds like fun.

[saikyocivrobo]

If people getting kidnapped and the whole Earth freezing into a block of ice sounds like your idea of fun.

[hobo_lantern]

No seriously. Over. Devil. If that doesn't sound like something super awesome to fight, I don't know what does. What IS an Over Devil?

[saikyocivrobo]

An ancient Overman with the ability to freeze pretty much everything. I'm going to find more info about it now, so that super awesome fight won't turn into a super disaster.

[hobo_lantern]

Things on fire can't be frozen.

[saikyocivrobo]

Don't burn any of our allies without their permission. They wouldn't take kindly to that.

[fermionprincess]

Oh no! We must act swiftly or else sir Gainer's life is forfeit! Not to mention, the incoming ice age is upon us!

[saikyocivrobo]

Don't worry, princess. I promise you that the world you're going to rule won't be a giant block of ice.

[fermionprincess]

Ohh? When did "conquer and rule the world" enter my own ever-increasing To Do list?

[saikyocivrobo]

Wasn't that what your tournament is all about? Rebuilding the world in your own image is pretty much the same as ruling it.

[fermionprincess]

Is that so? But I wish for no fundamental changes in the world to occur, just for the environment to be restored to its pre-Impact state.

[saikyocivrobo]

And that alone won't elevate you to the rank of saviour of the world, once people realize who did it?

Regardless, the Overdevil stands in the way of doing that too. Not to mention, it has Gainer. It's personal.

[fermionprincess]

Yes! Let us leave the ponderings of the state of the world for later - as of the time being, we have a friend to rescue!

[saikyocivrobo]

Exactly. And I'm going to find out how can we rescue him.

[zetahatsudo]

I'm coming with you. I'm not letting that thing keep its hands on any of my comrades.

[saikyocivrobo]

Good. I suspected I won't have to go alone.

Make sure to keep up with Prometheus' speed.

[zetahatsudo]

Werter, I have a lot of frustration and a system that lets me put that to use. I wouldn't worry about keeping up.

The sooner we can take this fucker down, the sooner I can get Cynthia back to Kensuke.

[saikyocivrobo]

Just bear in mind we're only going to gather info for now. I'm not going to challenge the Overdevil on my own. That'd be stupid.

[zetahatsudo]

[bristles at this, but calms down because taking offense would be stupid.] I get that. Gathering intelligence is probably all we can do with just the two of us. I'd rather we got the full military might of Axis to bring down on it's head, but I'm doubtful that'd get the results we want.

[saikyocivrobo]

That won't be necessary. What's on White Chalice is more than enough... Besides, there won't be much left of Gainer to rescue if you just bomb the Overdevil from orbit.

[zetahatsudo]

Hey, Catharsis demands what Catharsis demands. Anyway, we should focus on getting our asses over to the Yapan Exodus. Is anyone else coming?

[saikyocivrobo]

Wait with your Catharsis after everyone is rescued safely. You can cleanse your soul to your heart's delight after that.

And it seems it's just the three of us. Good enough; this doesn't require many people, and a big crowd will just slow us down.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

Matthew pauses as he listens to Werter's helpful expository running speech.

"The Overdevil?"

He clenches both his fists.

"THE OVERDEVIL?"

He turns and starts running alongside Werter.

"We haven't a moment to lose!"

Does this guy actually know what the Overdevil is?

[saikyocivrobo]

It's that urgent? Do you know something about the Overdevil nobody else does? Tell me!

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"What? Neg, I have no special information on the Overdevil!" Matthew replies, blinking, as he runs alongside you.

"But anything that goes by the name of "Overdevil" is clearly up to no good, and Must Be Stopped! I, Mechwarrior Matthew, and the forces of the Gurren Brigade will be at your side in the coming battle!"

Doesn't the Gurren Brigade currently have that land Battleship? Might come in handy...

[saikyocivrobo]

Well, I can't really argue with jumping to such conclusions here, for once...

I'm not going to battle right now. I'm going to gather information. The battle comes later.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Aff!" Matthew responds, nodding firmly.

After a moment–

"So why are we striding at such a brisk pace? And how can the Gurren Brigade help?"

[saikyocivrobo]

Because Yapan is far away from here and I want to find out what the Wise Men have to tell me ASAP.

How much you can help depends on how fast your robots are.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Our robot's speed–!"

Matthew pauses. "Is not that fast. However, we have yet to gauge to running speed of Battleship Dai-Gurren: we shall have to run tests once the technicians finish their work."

[saikyocivrobo]

Not enough time, and I doubt a battleship will be able to catch up with Prometheus anyway... Or be needed for information gathering, while we're at it. It's a bit too big and unwieldy.

Wait and get ready for when we're about to run the direct attack. It'll be much better then.

[gurrenbrigbonded]

"Aff! The Gurren Brigade shall be ready when the time comes!"

Matthew dashes off at a full-out sprint...then reconsiders things, and slows down to a brisk stride.

[saikyocivrobo]

Good luck.

[Werter goes on his own way.]

[hominilupusinexilio]

Resnick never liked Gainer, but he at least recognizes his value to the ship...and to Adette, of course. He walks with him.

"I suggest asking them about their mobile fortress too. It gave us...some trouble during the...liberation of the domes."

He walks beside him, eager to hear what they have to say.

[saikyocivrobo]

Mobile fortress? Indeed I'd have to ask, considering I know nothing about it.

[hominilupusinexilio]

"Aff, it was the size of an Overlord and made of some kind of crystal. Our encounter with it was short but in that time none of our mechs' weapons penetrated."

He remembered the crystalline mountain, looming over the people of the domepoli. They'd need some big firepower to crack that. Naval scale, unless it had some obscure weakness.

[saikyocivrobo]

Oh great. I'm sure the Overdevil won't use a fortress immune to artillery fire in this upcoming fight, or anything.

...It must have a weakness, though. I just need to find out what it is.

[hominilupusinexilio]

"Well we did not hit it with naval scale weaponry...The risk of friendly fire was too great. Perhaps there is a weakness a small unit could exploit? A heat vent that could be blasted closed?"

Aaaaaand he invents the Death Star trench run.

[saikyocivrobo]

If it even has heat vents to begin with... The Overdevil doesn't seem to care much about classic thermodynamics.

[hominilupusinexilio]

"Any vehicle of that size must generate some heat. Even Getter Dragon vented it through its 'mouth'. I am confident of our victory though. The Railway Company has consistently proven their wealth does not make up for tactical incompetence."

He smirked, convinced it would be a replay of the battle at the Domepoli.

[saikyocivrobo]

Don't underestimate the opponent. This is not the incompetent Siberian Railroad and their crappy Silhouette Engines we're talking about. This is an ancient, ridiculously powerful and possibly sentient Overman. One that already stole two really good pilots from us.

...But yes. We'll win this. I'll make sure of it.

[hominilupusinexilio]

"And those pilots were Adette's trothkin. It will not be in an enviable position when she finds it, quineg?"

Still, mentally they were Sillhouette Engines to him. He'd only fought an overman once and while novel (and annoying) the effect hadn't exactly been that dangerous...

[saikyocivrobo]

Yeah. With any chance, her wrath alone will be enough to melt the Overdevil into a puddle. That'd simplify matters.