Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Character Creation and Discussion (second reincarnation)

[ghazghkull]

Oh Kyral knows German? could you do me a favour and check the following if the German is correct?

Rückstoß durchbohren (Blowback Pierce)
Sturmwelle (Storm Wave)
Geistillusionen (Ghost Illusions)
Himmel-Tänzer (Sky Dancer)
Grosse Knall-Faust (Big Bang Fist)
Eisen Wird (Iron Will)
Rüstung Heiligen (Saint’s Armour)
Himmlisches Schild (Heavenly Shield)
Schirmherrschaft Heiligen (Saint’s Aegis)

[dkellis]

Originally Posted by Kyral

"Rote Flügel" :3

Right, thanks.

[Kyral]

Originally Posted by Evangelion Xgouki

Bwahahaha!!!

W000t! ID Cards! :3

Originally Posted by Tormenk

*pops in*

Quick present then.

Spoiler:

*snip*

Wordier than I expected but I felt like it so what the heck.


*pops out*

Aaaawww!
That's uber cute!

Originally Posted by Aaron008R

~MSLN GenerationS~
Chapter 3
Part 1[/CENTER]

Spoiler for GenerationS: Chapter 3.1:

*snip*

Well. That ended up longer than expected.

But that's not the end of it!!!

Please wait for the second part of my assortment of presents for Hayate!

Great Wolkenritter interaction! I love stuff like that!

Originally Posted by Keroko

Eh, close enough I guess.

[Ja!]

Originally Posted by ghazghkull

Oh Kyral knows German? could you do me a favour and check the following if the German is correct?

Rückstoß durchbohren (Blowback Pierce)
Sturmwelle (Storm Wave)
Geistillusionen (Ghost Illusions)
Himmel-Tänzer (Sky Dancer)
Grosse Knall-Faust (Big Bang Fist)
Eisen Wird (Iron Will)
Rüstung Heiligen (Saint’s Armour)
Himmlisches Schild (Heavenly Shield)
Schirmherrschaft Heiligen (Saint’s Aegis)

I'm not holding the titel "Belka Scriptor" for nothing!
(<- And I did put Germany into my location )

Ok lets see...

Rückstoß Durchbohrung (Blowback Pierce)
Geister Illusionen (Ghost Illusions)
Himmelstänzer (Sky Dancer)
Urknallfaust (Big Bang Fist) (if you mean "Big Bang" like in "Big Bang Attack")
Eiserner Wille (Iron Will)
Rüstung des Heiligen (Saint’s Armour) (Or "Rüstung des Sankt Kaisers" if you mean the Saint King's Armour)
Himmlischer Schild (Heavenly Shield)
Schirmherrschaft des Heiligen (or again "des Sankt Kaisers")

"Sturmwelle" is good as it is.

[Evangelion Xgouki]

Originally Posted by Kha

...Lily?!

Aaron's latest Khrack REALLY inspired you didn't it?

Never underestimate t3h crack

Originally Posted by Kha

*is sent flying from the second blow of WAFFiness*

How do you guys DO these things?! I am not worthy!!!

I do hope I can measure up.

Wait...you're worried? I should be the one worrying here...

[dkellis]

First draft of the Lyrical Babel timeline. I'm just putting this up here so I can link to it.

Key:
Canon Timeline (taken from Nightengale's official post)
Lyrical Babel (Lyrical Melancholy, Lyrical Rage, Lyrical Envy)
Lyrical Elemental
Lyrical Coda
Lyrical Legend
Miscellaneous

Spoiler:

Unknown
- An offshoot from the Al Hazardian civilization mysteriously vanishes en masse, possibly due to a major dimensional disturbance.
- Thirteen artefacts are left behind from that civilization. Contact with any of the artefacts have historically been extremely destructive, which means that records are spotty at best, but the artefacts are known to be the Orb of the Peerless Mage, the Ring of the Jewelled Dusk, the Dagger of the Obsidian Light, the Helm of the Veiled Moon, the Sword of the Ardent Star, the Shield of the Sundered Dark, the Bracers of the Clouded Earth, the Tome of the Night Sky, the Staff of the Unconquered Sun, the Lance of the Watchful Guardian, the Sigil of the Proud Heart, the Crown of the Timeless Lord, and the Sands of the Eternal Myth.

Over 1,500 Years Ago
- The Serene Tower is activated by unknown means, and the resultant magical backlash almost plunges Midchilda into an Ice Age.
- A group of adventurers led by a young hero wielding the Sword of the Ardent Star manage to infiltrate and deactivate the Tower in time. The Tower is dimension-shifted away.

150 Years Ago
- Founding of TSAB.

75 Years Ago/MC 00
- Acceptance of Magic-Tech in TSAB/Establishment of GC/Central HQ/Era of the 3 Legendary Admirals

MC 029
- First recorded detection of a unique magical signature, indicating a huge amount of magical energy being used. This is quickly classified and code-named "Loki", with subsequent pings nicknamed "Loki Flares".

MC~035
- (Unknown Rank) Regius Gaiz joins TSAB

MC 050
- Jail Scaglietti establishes the framework/base technology for man-machine hybridization/prototype for Combat Cyborg technology

MC 053

Early MC 053: Lyrical Elemental

- Emma Somerset, aspiring novelist, meets Galant Astra, former mercenary. She convinces him that his powers can be used for good.
- Galant takes on the code-name Invictus, meets Antaeus (Leo Gravinchy) and Maven (Sallah Velite). Harlequin (Carmina Electra) joins soon after. Rote Fluegel is formed.

MC 055
- Regius and Zest were already acquainted then. Ground Forces suffered from lack of capable personnels and insufficient combat potential.

MC 057
- Moreau Incident. Rote Fluegel liberates several victims of genetic manipulation, among them one Jolie Huyens.
- Emma begins a campaign to have the Moreau victims recognized as legal persons in the eyes of the law.
- Jolie joins Rote Fluegel as an honorary member.

MC 059
February
- A landmark decision is made on the rights of the victims of the Moreau Incident, granting them full rights and responsibilities as citizens.

12 August
- Galant Astra and Jolie Huyens marry. Wedding is crashed by Feuermacher, but Rote Fluegel handily sends him packing.

MC 060
5 May
- Reiz Astra born.

Late Summer
- Nova Altmann enlists in the TSAB at 18.

Early Winter
- Loki Flare.
- Forbidden Device Incident: Carmina finds the Dagger of the Obsidian Light,renames herself Black Harlequin, and turns on her former teammates.
- Showdown at Rote Fluegel's home base. Antaeus seriously injured protecting Reiz, and falls comatose. Maven and Jolie killed. Black Harlequin incinerated by Invictus.
- Emma and Galant part ways. Rote Fluegel disbanded for good.

31 Dec
- Antaeus disappears from the hospital.

MC 061
January
- 9-year old Rancer LaSalle is enrolled into a TSAB-sponsored boarding school. His prior records are vague, but seem to indicate that he was grew up in an orphanage.

MC 064
- Quint and Genya Nakajima saves and takes in Type-0s First/Second as their children.
- Galant settles down in the seaside town of Joshua's Rest, and opens a convenience store. He also runs a dojo in his free time.

MC 065
Spring - Summer

Mid MC 065: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha

- Loki Flare.
- The Precia Testarossa and Jewel Seed incident.
- First Lieutenant Nova Altmann is seriously injured during the assault on the Garden of Time, and spends several months in intensive care.
- The Sands of the Eternal Myth are confirmed later to have been effectively destroyed or dissipated somewhere around this time.

Late MC 065: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's

Winter
- The Book of Darkness incident.
- Nova overcomes her depression, transfers to Special Investigations.

MC 066
- Fate, Nanoha and Hayate joins the TSAB workforce.

MC 067
- Reinforce Zwei is born. Hayate meets Acous/Carim, and the Ancient Belkan friendship begins.
- The Nanoha incident, due to overstressing.
- Fate fails Enforcer Test lol. Apparently due to being worried over Nanoha.
- Zest's force attacked Jail's installation. Zest, Alpine were caught as test-subjects by the Numbers, and Quint, dead.
- By the influence of the High Council, Lutecia was taken in by Jail Scaglietti as a test subject.

MC 068
- Fate fails. AGAIN. Signum is so enjoying it. Fate passes at the 3rd time though.
- Nanoha recovers and passes S-rank examination.
- Reiz meets Ken Kuda, and the two form a fast friendship.

MC 069
- Fate passes S-rank examination, and discovers Elio Mondial in one of the missions.
- Vincent DeVaux receives his Engineering doctorate and Device Meister certification, begins work as a civilian-attached contractor to the TSAB.
- Hayate completes her Career course. (?)
- Tiida Lanster dies.
- Ivey enlists in the TSAB at 16, quickly placed into accelerated training.
- Nova promoted to Captain.
- Vice accidentally shoots his sister during a mission, and retired from front-line duties.

MC 069~MC 072
- Elio Mondial is taken care/living in TSAB HQ.

MC 070
- Rancer passes solo A rank examination, promoted to Second Lieutenant, cools his heels waiting for assignments.
- Ivey passes solo A rank examination, promoted to Second Lieutenant, transfers to Intelligence.
- Ivey meets Rancer.

MC 071
- Arf retires from front-line duty.

April
- Relic/Drone Incident #1 (( The case below happens 2 weeks after this ))

29 April
- Mid-childa Coastal Airport Fire/Subaru and Ginga was saved by Nanoha and Fate

30 April
- Hayate decides to form a special squad, which 4 years later would be RF6.

Around MC 071
- Caro is banished? (( Unsure ))

Somewhere around MC 071~MC 072
- Caro stays in the TSAB... somewhere.

MC 072
February
- Fate decides to become Caro's guardian.

Spring
- (April) After graduation from high school, the cast moves to Mid-childa (( I think ))
- Rancer passes solo AA rank examination, promoted to First Lieutenant.
- DeVaux disappears while researching in the Infinite Library. All investigations lead nowhere.

Mid Summer
- Laura and Luna Veiron enlist in the TSAB at age 20.
- Subaru and Teana joins Ground Training School. Erio and Shari looks around the compound.
- Rancer and Ivey have a falling out.
- Ivey saves Rancer's life, but is seriously injured in the process. Spends the rest of MC 072 in critical condition.
- Subaru and Teana, partners slowly become friends. Teana meets Ginga Nakajima the first time, and the first blatant Tsundere!Tea is clear.
- Chrono and Amy get married.

MC 073
Spring
- DeVaux reappears exactly one year after his disappearance on a completely different world, and proceeds to raid several museums and banks.
- Research Vessel Appeal To Reason commissioned, quickly gets a reputation as an unlucky ship. Jeanne Marquette assigned as Captain, with a crew complement of eight, including three civilian scientists.

May
- Upon graduation, Teana and Subaru, still paired, are assigned to Disaster Management Unit 386
- Laura and Luna graduate, and are assigned to Intelligence.

Autumn
- Loki Flare.
- Ivey is released from the hospital, reconciles with Rancer.
- The investigation on the botched mission finishes inconclusively, and neither Ivey nor Rancer are punished further than a reprimand. Rancer transfers out, and Ivey follows him.

MC 074
- Nova promoted to Major, transferred to the 37th Criminal Investigation And Apprehension unit.
- Rancer and Ivey transfer to the 37th CIAA as well.
- Rancer is quickly made 2IC after the 37th's first mission, taking down Howling Talon quickly and safely.
- DeVaux begins hiring mercenaries to do his work. He attempts to contact Jail Scaglietti, but was soundly rebuffed by Uno.

September
- Caro is at the Environment Protection unit... for how long, we don't know.

MC 075
March
- The unofficial start-up of RF6, with the RF6 HQ getting inspected and equipments/personnel starting to be moved in. Caro leaves for Mid-childa.

Few days later
- Sound Stage M events here.

April
- Subaru and Teana fails B-rank examination. (( When they pass later, dunno. ))
- Sonic Grope Incident.
- With the assembly of every member as of that point, RF6 is officially launched.

4 days later
- The devices of the Forwards in production, by Shari.

13 May
- Hayate meets Carim.
- New devices completed for Forwards.
- Gadget Drones sighted. Forward's first mission. START.
- First Mission. First Victory. Jail is watching happily everyone except Teana and Rein.

Several days later
- Hayate request assistance and cooperation from Genya's 108th division in relates to investigation and stuff.
- Forwards get individual training for combat roles.

Several days later
- RF6 goes to Earth for a mission.
- Teana and Subaru learn that contrary to the belief that super mages come from test-tubes or have sad emo past with no parents, Nanoha is perfectly normal lol.
- Erio gets lucky. VERY lucky.

Several days later
- Hotel Augusta Incident.
- Something was stolen... now that I think about, what WAS THAT THING?
- Yuunoha is not dead.
- Metis successfully accomplishes her first heist, under orders from DeVaux. The crime is overshadowed by the flashier Hotel Augusta Incident elsewhere.

Several days later lol
- Subaru and Teana goes on intensive training.
- But White Devil >>>>>>>>> Intensive Training.
- Night falls. Teana get Sigslapped.
- They learn the truth behind Season 1, A's and THE INCIDENT. I can understand the latter, but isn't the former 2 top secret?

Several days later lol
- Bonding taimu. Caro and Elio reveals their past history. Subaru thought of telling her cyborg secret, but Teana stops her.

2 weeks later.
- HOLIDAY TAIMU!
- Vivio spoils Elio and Caro's perfect date mission.
- Hayate moves out with Chrono Limiter Breaker.
- Forward + Ginga moves.
- Garyuu and Agito appears.
- Regius gets huh? SS in Ground Forces? And wtfbbq at it being THAT CRIMINAL.
- Numbers appear and escape.
- Relic is secured thanks to Teana/Caro. Vita fails.

Next day
- Prophecy talk. Fate and Nanoha FINALLY knows RF6 was actually formed. Yeah... you池e a good friend, Hayate... hiding it from your best friends for so long・

Several days later lol
- Fate becomes Vivio's god-mother. NF-fans rejoice at their saint for creating Nanoha-mama and Fate-mama.

Several days later
- The Fate/Caro/Elio family weakness, emotional bonds moment with advices from Arf and Lindy that SHOULD HAD BEEN ANIMATED. Because FCE >>>>> NFV.
- RF6 learns that Agito is Unison Device.

5 September
- Ginga and Mariel joins RF6 temporarily.

11 September
- Nanoha, Vita and Forwards go to the GC HQ first.

12 September
- The Jail Scaglietti Terrorist Attack at the Public Presentation.
- Jail is victorious.
- Vivio and Ginga are kidnapped.
- Various injuries on both parties, but the winner is clear.

13th September
- Genya reveals his past with Subaru/Ginga/Quint along with information of Combat Cyborgs.
- Hayate and Auris exchange words.
- Athra is taken to be RF6's mobile base for the time being.

19th September
- RF6 is back, now 200% more mobile.
- Alto takes over Vice's heli-pilot job.
- Mach Calibur starts to show why she's the MAIN CHARACTER's A.I and designs her own upgrade for Subaru, 250% more heavy and 140% more magic consumption... MACH CALIBUR RIESE!?!?!?
- Jail's hideout is discovered thanks to Acous's dogs.
- Cradle is reborn.
- The Cradle's threat is ascertained to be dangerous, and a fleet of XV class ships from the Navy are deployed as reinforcements.
- RF6 is divided into 3 parties, the Cradle Attack Force, the Jail Attacker, and the Central Attack Force.
- Limiter ALL RELEASE.
- TSAB High Council is assassinated by Due.
- Basically, everything in 25 and first half of 26.
- The 37th CIAA distinguish themselves in the defense of the city during the launch of the Cradle; Rancer and Ivey concentrate on helping and protecting civilians, rather than smashing drones.

End of October
- Chapter 13 of the StrikerS manga. Basically, the characters deciding their paths in the future or returning to where they once came, Hayate deciding to return to Investigations, Nanoha Instructors Division, etc etc etc.

December
- Work begins in earnest on the Logistic Infinite Library Application project. Existing Librarians are disgruntled, but admit that they have no choice in the matter.

MC 076
January
- Rancer and Ivey receive promotions to Captain and First Lieutenant respectively.

28th of April
- Na na na na na na na na na na hey hey hey goodbye. Na na na na na na hey hey hey goodbye. Sayonara RF6. And painful farewell party. Which will probably in chapter 14 of the SUPERIOR StrikerS manga.

Mid MC 076: Lyrical Legend

June
- Arisa Bannings meets Apollo Lowell. A few days later, Apollo spirits her away from Earth.
- Specialized Heuristic Organized Data Access Node 43893 goes online, and the Logistic Infinite Library Application project is declared a success.

July
- Nanoha hears of Arisa's disappearance, and goes to Earth to investigate.
- Suzuka Tsukimura meets Excelle Lowell.

September
- Reiz enlists in the TSAB, despite the disapproval of her father. She does not get a chance to say goodbye to Ken, but leaves a note.

Early November
- Loki Flare. Certain members of TSAB Intelligence carefully set up a covert task force to investigate this phenomenon, while retaining plausible deniability to their own superiors.

Late MC 076: Lyrical Melancholy

29 November
- Rancer and Ivey explore Site E-203 on the 194th Non-Administered World.

1 December
- Internal audit of the Infinite Library reveals discrepancies. Full investigation launched.

4 December
- Corporal Reiz Astra joins the 37th CIAA.

20 December
- Librarian Captain Halley Rainier recalled to the Infinite Library proper to assist in the investigation.

21 December
- Sergeant Laura Veiron and Private Luna Veiron are attached to the 37th CIAA.

25 December
- Caro Ru Rushe is kidnapped by Metis.
- Fate, Erio, Teana, and Arf enlist the help of the 37th CIAA in tracking down DeVaux.

28 December
- DeVaux's hideout found. Metis defeated by Fate, but DeVaux escapes with Caro. Teana gets left behind to keep an eye on Metis. Isn't it sad~
- DeVaux uses Caro to summon the Serene Tower. He ensconces himself at the peak, abandoning Caro to the rescuers. Erio and Arf stay with Caro, while Fate and the 37th prepare to confront DeVaux.

29 December
- Assault on the Serene Tower. Ivey is injured (again), and Luna evacuates her. Rancer and Laura head to the top of the tower while Reiz guards their rear.
- Reiz single-handedly defeats one hundred guard drones.
- Fate and Laura defeat DeVaux, while Rancer shuts down the Tower.
- Saint Church forces arrive, bringing Lutecia with them. They relieve Reiz and mop up the rest of the automated security systems, before Lutecia de-summons the Serene Tower.

31 December
- Reiz, now a great deal more self-confident, is accepted into Officer Cadet Training.
- The 37th bond by watching the first sunrise of the New Year. Reiz almost, but not quite, confesses to Rancer, who just remains confused.

MC 077
February
- Halley returns from the audit.

Mid MC 077: Lyrical Rage
May
- Second Lieutenant Reiz Astra returns just in time to save Rancer and Ivey from an Arachnodrone attack.
- Laura and Luna return to the 37th, this time on the trail of a criminal named Richter.
- Metis escapes from an inescapable high-security orbital prison. (Well, not anymore.)

Early June
- The 37th, sans Rancer (who gets left behind to mind the office), visit Reiz's hometown, Joshua's Rest. Reiz sees Ken again, and gushes to him about Rancer. Ken is not entirely happy about this.

MC 078: Lyrical Envy


to be continued

[Tk3997]

Well I got inspired today and went on a bit of a writing binge managing to pound out quite a bit so I present:

Chapter 3.2: SNAFU Part 2 (the big text makes it harder to miss!)

Spoiler for SNAFU Part 2:

Dig Site One, 0930 Hours, January 77 MC:

Emil dropped onto his belly and crawled forward the last few meters to the edge of the forests under a low level concealment spell. While the method wasn’t exactly dignified it served its purpose and kept him hidden from view as he approached the perimeter of the camp. He’d left his two teammates behind at the lay up point to continue observing at a distance, but he wanted a close look. Besides they’d need good ground level intelligence to plan the assault. Coming up to the edge of the cleared camp he quickly glanced around him and located a nearby bush that would give him some extra concealment while he surveyed the scene he slipped himself inside it as much as he could and gingerly moving aside a few branches he settled in to observe.

The camp, as expected, was basiclly just some tents and a few vehicles and trailers clustered in front of a sheer cliff face with the forest around it cleared to a distance of about 50 meters to the most outlying tents to the wood line. The terrain was flat and open and it would give basiclly no cover with the tents only able to offer minor concealment. Still the patrol patterns of the drones weren’t all that tight and weren’t being varied at all from what he could tell which gave the impression they didn’t expect any real trouble. If that turned out to be so then they’d at least enjoy the element of surprise. A low rubble above him drew his gaze upward for a moment to watch a four ship of aerial units lazily soar overhead. He’d been informed of there presence by Keller during the coruse of his stalk up to target though sp that was nothing new; besides those wouldn’t be his problem in the upcoming assault.

He settled into his position and continued his observation observing the enemies movements and counting off there numbers as best he could. It came out to about 30 drones on the ground by his estimation and Keller had estimated another 30 in the air. Not a tiny force by any means, but with what they had on there side he was confident they could take them barring any major fuck ups. Satisfied with his observations for now he backed out of his hide and slinked back into the jungle quickly totally disappearing from sight as he made his way back toward the rally point where the rest of the team would be assembling when they arrived.

================================================== ===

Said team was already in motion those still back at the HQ had geared up and moved out quickly once they’d gotten the contact report for the observation team; meanwhile the second recon team had also been informed and had already begun moving toward the site on there own though the current plan was for the helicopter to meet them part way then carry the entire group most of the rest of distance dropping them just beyond the horizon from the camp from were they’d proceed on foot to maintain surprise. Though all this hectic unexpected action had left them with little opportunity to get the most recent additions to the force up to speed before departure the chopper ride itself was providing fairly ample time for it now.

“So a glass cannon and a toothless boulder… Too bad we can’t smash you two together to get someone decently balanced.” Felix commented on the pair of profiles before him speaking slightly louder then he normally would have in order to be heard over the drone of the engines and rotors in the background.

“Gee don’t sugar coat it or anything.” Daisy grumbled back at him she was quite aware of some of the… issues with her chosen style, but she still didn’t really like having people point them out too her never mind so brusquely.

Rose said nothing and just sighed resignedly as she watched Daisy talked back to a member of rather elite unit who also happened to be over twice her age and of a higher rank too boot. Learning when to just shut up was not a skill she’d really developed proficiency in yet which could go a long way to explaining her still holding the rank of Private despite having notably higher then average potential and growth magically speaking.

“Well if you don’t want people to talk trash about you then you shouldn’t leave such glaring holes in your skills.” “Luckily” in this case she was talking back to someone whose response to such behavior wasn’t pulling rank but talking crap right on back.

“Now, now don’t be too nasty she’s young after all she’ll get better.” Pixy stepped in to defuse the situation before it could escalate further. Daisy looked rather smug while Felix threw his friend a mild glare which the other man didn’t even seem to notice as he continued on not missing a beat “Well assuming said glaring flaws don’t end up getting her killed before she can improve.” Now it was Felix’s turn to look smug and Daisy’s to glare.

Turning away from that though Felix glanced over at Rose who’d been rather quiet during the trip keeping to herself and having kind of scooted off to the side away from most of the rest of the people aboard.. “Something bothering you?” He queried idly.

He was startled from her thoughts by the voice in her head and quickly scanned the cabin before fixing her gaze on Felix who was lazily leaning back in his seat but clearly focused on her. “It’s nothing.” She replied with a dismissive wave.

“Yeah sure nothing that’s why you’ve barely said a thing for half an hour.” He shot back sarcastically not buying it in the slightest.

She seemed to consider it for a moment before responding again. “It’s just that I seem to be the only one worried about the fact we’re going in combat…” She finally answered honestly casting a quick glance around the cabin at the other occupants who all seemed laid backed and unconcerned starkly at odds with her own mood at the moment.

“You ever been in combat kid?” He asked casually.

“A little, but nothing of the scale this seems to be.” She informed him.

“Then listen up kid there are only four rules you need to know in combat.” Rose looked at him expectedly and he raised his hand extending his pointer finger. “Rule 1: God gave you a head, use it” He raised his middle finger. “Number 2: Keep your damn head.” Next was his ring finger. “Number 3: Never volunteer for anything.“ And last was his pinky. “And four: Don’t do anything stupid. That last one is the most important though it mostly involves abiding by the first three …”

This earned him a less then pleased grimace and hard look from the younger girl which elicited a sigh from him. “Alright fine, fine.” He conceded getting more serious. “The first thing you need to do is not psych yourself out yeah this is serious business, but you still need to keep your wits about you. But beyond that trust me we’ve got allot of experience collected here, even if it may not look it, and none of us is planning on losing anyone today so just follow our directions, do your job, and you’ll be fine.” He advised her genuinely.

“I’ll do my best, sir.” She replied with as much confidence as she could muster.

“You’d damn well better and seriously don’t do anything stupid, or else.” He came back a second later somewhat ruining the moment and earning a displeased look from Rose which he completely ignored as he closed his eyes and shifted about to try and ger comfortable and catch a bit of extra sleep while he could. Felix was jostled awake by a shift in the helicopters maneuvers as he began to stir the first thing he did was check his watch and the reason for the change quickly became clear they ought to be descending to retrieve the second recon team about now.

The helo continued its descent intending to land a nearby grassy clearing the pilot guided it down onto the small patch of opened ground with practiced ease. As the machine settled onto its wheels they sank a few inches in the ground that had been softened by recent rain, but that was as far as it went and it would tear loose easily enough on take off. A few seconds after touch down a trio of figures broke from the edge of the clearing and jogged out toward them shielding there faces with there arms as best they could across the storm of wing blown debris being kicked up by the helicopters rotors.

As they clambered aboard they looked slightly worse for wear there clothes where soaked even though it had stopped raining sometime ago the humidity was still oppressive which had slowed the drying of there garments and the moisture content had been continually relished by gallons of sweat in any case. Once there clothes had become wet dirt had of coruse begun clinging to them like glue and a layer of oily grim coated both there clothing and exposed skin while there boots tracked large globs of stinking mud onto the cabins floor.

“So… have fun on your camping trip?” Felix asked flippantly as the last of them got aboard and the ramp began closing behind them.

It took enormous self control for Kou not to lunge forward and attempt strangle the man before him and he was too worn out for a verbal tirade so he settled for a simple and widely understood gesture performed with one finger and a glare that would have struck Felix stone dead if such a thing were possible.

================================================== ===
20 miles West of Dig Site 1, not long after:

“Alright boys and girls this is as far as this bus goes.” The pilot announced over the intercom as she guided the helo in toward the designated landing zone. The mood had gotten more somber and the atmosphere a bit quieter as the group had neared there drop off point most discussion since retrieving the recon team had focused on the mission and planning it. Now as the team stood and prepared to disembark it was quiet and the mood more serious then ever. They might not be dropping straight into battle but once their feet hit the ground they’d still be in a combat zone.

The chopper settled down and the ramp dropped the signal for everyone aboard to quickly exit. Upon hitting the ground they all made for the trees as quickly as possible and the entire unit was soon under the cover of the jungle; the helicopter meanwhile was already off the ground and heading out before the last of them had even gotten out of the clearing. Once out of the open the team quickly regrouped and found a trail the recon team had reported they could use to reach there location quickly. While not all of those present were great fliers most could at least hover noticeably faster then most people could sprint and the few that didn’t fly at all had other methods of moving quickly…

Kou pushed off another branch sailing forward nearly 50 feet in a single bound to the next branch then pushing off that one in turn and launching himself toward his next target this one only 40 feet away. He couldn’t fly, but in an environment like this he was acutally arguably more agile then someone that could yes while the jungle was an awful place to spend time it did have its upsides if you happened to be a magically powered ninja… Suddenly something caught his attention and he aborted his next leap to drop from the canopy rolling as he landed and popping up to press himself flat against the trunk of a large tree in one smooth motion.

“Thunder.” He mentally broadcast the agreed upon codeword.

“Flash.” The response came back and a moment later Emil stepped out from behind another tree about 100 meters away his rifle held in one hand above his head. It wasn’t lost on Kou that the position he emerged from had a clear line of sight to where he was standing, but pushing aside his minor annoyance at being “beaten” like that he strode out to meet the other man. As the neared each other a dull roar above them drew both there eyes skyward for a moment before both of them dove back into cover as the noise passed into the distance and after waiting a short time on top of that they both emerged once more.

“They fliers have been patrolling this area pretty regularly, but they’re not alternating the timing so they’ve been pretty easy to avoid. They shouldn’t be back for another 15 minutes or so.” He informed Kou as they linked up.

Kou noted with a bit of annoyance that Emil appeared much cleaner and better kempt in general then he was, but managed to keep his attitude professional. “My partner should be…” A dull thump a few meters to the right drew both men’s attention as they glanced over to see Shin standing up from his landing. “Right there.” Kou finished before turning back to Emil. “The rest of them aren’t too far behind either.”

“I figured the cave we’re hold up in is about a kilometer up this hill should be enough room for all of us to hunker down in and get ready.” He informed the younger agent.

A cave? He managed to find a cave to hold up in? Of all the…! God damn lucky bastard. Kou cursed to himself.

================================================== ===

The rest of the team caught up quickly enough and with Emil in the lead it wasn’t long before for the first time that entire taskforce was now united albeit it in the rather dank setting of a cave in the middle of the jungle. Despite the surroundings the final planning secession and briefing before the attack was now getting underway.

“Alright then lay it out.” Felix gestured lazily and Rebbeca quickly summon up a large holographic window parallel to and a few inches off the ground. While it wasn’t quite a proper planning table it beat drawing in the dirt with sticks. The window was quickly filled out by a topographic map of the terrain onto which was quickly overlaid a myriad of symbols that represented know enemy positions and there composition.

Though Irene had led the investigation and was still nominally in charge combat was not her specialty and she’d delegated the task of leading the attack to Felix and Vita; she’d declined to say who was whose superior opting to “let them work that out themselves”… Some might call that being a coward she preferred to think of it as self preservation.

“We didn’t expect them to have drones nor do we have a damn clue where they got all of them, but we’ll just have to deal with it. I trust all of you have received at least minor drilling in countering AMFs?” Felix continued once the holographic picture was completed and glanced up at all those assembled inside the now somewhat cramped cave.

He got nods all around from all present such training had become standard and mandated across the TSAB in the wake of the Jail Incident, but that said just because something was mandated hardly meant it got done in a timely manner. It looked like luck was with them here and he’d be spared having to give a half assed lecture about it on the eve of battle.

“Alright then let’s get too it.” He announced squatting down beside the hologram. “The plan we’ve hashed out.” He nodded over to Vita who was standing across the display from him. “Is pretty simply overall the drones appear to be very closely based on the models already encountered given that we know they have a number of weakness we can exploit; hopefully. The biggest one being that even the smartest of them is still very stupid. Luring them into a series of ambush shouldn’t be difficult and should allow us to eliminate them quickly.”

“Which is important because once the attack begins it’s entirely possible the guys inside might bolt; so far as we know the entrance at the camp is the only way out, but note that ‘as far as we know bit’. Once we start we need to break them quickly and get inside.” Vita added

Felix took over once more and continued “Out recon unit-“ A quick nod toward Emil. “Reported that two people entered the dig site while three others remained outside, but before we deal with them we need to get rid of the drones. The ones in the air we’re going to have to deal with the old fashioned way and that’ll be the job of the three of us” He nodded toward Vita and Pixy “The glass cannon-” That earned him a glare from said cannon which he ignored. “The walking radome and the mighty glacier will remain to the rear in support. Everyone else will form the unit that will assault the camp and then the dig site itself.”

“Hopefully by the time you’ve cleared the camp at least one of us will be able to break away from the aerial combat and join you for the push into the dig site itself, but if not you’re too precede inside, but if things look dicey in anyway in there don’t do anything stupid just fall back.” Vita informed said assault unit seriously Emil would be in charge and from what she could tell he was fairly well experienced, but most of the rest of them weren’t and she wanted to make damn sure they didn’t do anything foolish.

“Alright that’s the basic now it’s time to talk specifics…” Felix took over once more and began to dive into the nuts and bolts of the plan positions, time frames, what ifs, etc. This was the boring the part and yet it was also the part that assured that everything acutally worked and everyone knew what to do once the spells started flying. It was even more important then normal here as well since this group hadn’t worked together before, hell most of them had only met about two days ago.

This unit definitely wasn’t exactly ideal, but by some stroke of luck they acutally seemed to have what they needed to make this all work… assuming things acutally went as planned, but really what we’re the odds of that? In his estimation this entire plan had about a 10% of working beautifully, a 30% of kind of working, and a 60% of turning into a giant disaster, but hey what could they do? There was a chance they could do it and so duty pretty much bound them to try… Man duty sucked.

================================================== ===
Dig Site 1, 1400 Hours.

Once the plan had been laid out in detail and everyone had there assignments the unit had split up into its assigned groups and spent the next hour quietly infiltrating into there jumping off positions. Felix checked his watch if all was on schedule everyone ought to be in position by now… “All units report ready.” He broadcast.

“Bravo all set.” Emil responded from his forward near the edge of the camp he glanced left at Kou who was also in cover weapon held ready and three arrows nocked on it.

“Charlie ready.” Irene announced as she watched Miller arm the fuse on his last little surprise from her tree top perch and began pulling back to toward her, Makoto, and Shin.

“Delta is good to go.” Keller announced glancing back over her shoulder at Daisy and Rose who we’re set up on the reverse slope of the hill she was currently prone atop.

He didn’t need to know the status of Able since he was the leader of Able and knew damn well they were ready. “Alright all units in position, right then Glass start us off with a bang.” Felix announced after confirming that everyone was in position and ready to commence.

“The name isn’t Glass.” Daisy back irritably, but she’d already deployed a magic array and was powering up her first shot even as she said it. “You Ready Keller?”

“Target’s painted go for it.” Keller responded as she began illuminating one of the larger groups of drones patrolling the perimeter from her position up hill her position gave her line of sight to the targets while keeping the somewhat… fragile Daisy out of it. A second later Daisy’s first shot soared over head arcing gracefully through the air on a ballistic trajectory apparently aiming for a direct strike on it’s intended but as the bolt reached an altitude of about 20 meters and mere moments from impact it shattered blanketing everything below in a cone shaped spray magic shrapnel. The drones below it caught flat footed without there AMFs engaged we’re torn to shreds by the attack.

Within a matter of seconds pretty much every aerial unit on the field altered it’s heading in the direction the attack had come from, and the ground based units quickly followed suit which brought them out into the open and funneled them toward one point… “Okay… hit um!” A moment later one drones crashed to the ground screwed by now less then three arrows another basiclly exploded as it was perorated by armor piercing rounds which found on it’s capacitors. Both Emil and Kou switched targets and continued firing even as the rest of the ground based drones altered there heading to meet the new thread and return fire began to zero in on them.

The aerials meanwhile where boring in on Daisy and company, but just before the first four ship could enter firing range a green beam flashed out of the canopy closed the range in moments and swept across the entire flight blowing it out of the sky in one fell swoop, two more craft nearby exploded seconds later as both were perforated by a pair of red bolts. The others nearby scattered several sending a barrage of rockets back toward the area the fire had come from Pixy and Vita charged out of the canopy avoiding the barrage and rushing to close the range. Felix shot out a few seconds behind them and cut loose another blast only to watch the intended target snap roll the left and avoid the strike. Hmm buggers seem a bit faster… He mused to himself as he juked left to avoid his targets return fire as it sliced by him and pulled into a hard left turn. Not much smarter though. He added as he pivoted in place and cut losses a swarm of homing bolts… and watched them totally fizzle as they all failed the track properly. “The hell?!”

================================================== ===

“Drawback!“ Macmillan barked as he pounded out another three round burst then ducked as return fire from the drones tore back at him one shot missing by a matter of inches. The fire was getting intense and the jungle around the pair was quickly being torn to shreds. The drones weren’t aiming at them so much as the general area the attacks were coming from this far the only victims of the barrage were scores of innocent trees, but the fire was now getting a little close for comfort. And both of the marksmen we’re now beating a hasty retreat as the drones continued to advance laying down a torrent of fire. Kou had taken to the canopy and was bouncing from branch to branch with grace that would make a monkey green with envy. Macmillan opted for a more conventional approach and merely sprinted like the dickens down a reasonably clear animal track he’d seen earlier jumping the occasional bunch of roots along the way.

The drones meanwhile heedless of the danger or the fact that the jungle was claustrophobic death trap ripe for an ambush and ideal for a smaller number of attackers looking to widdle down a superior force charged into the undergrowth with gusto. That charge forward ended pretty much the second they hit said undergrowth at which time they were forced to slow to little more then a human walking pace as they picked there way around and through the obstacles in the jungle. There formation also began to be spread out and the dense terrain meant they couldn’t really see each other for mass there fire on a single target for that… All that would have been bad enough but the poor tin cans were blundering into something even worse at that very moment.

“Come into my web said the Spider to the fly…” Miller grinned wickedly as he watched the drones wander forward in a fair disorganized extended line in search of there attackers all the while unknowingly following them directly into a preplanned killzone.

Keller continued monitoring the situation with area scans and waiting until the maximum number of enemies had entered the target area before giving Miller the signal. It was a balancing act as while they didn’t really want too many enemies to penetrate past the field setting it off before the bulk of the force entered would only do minor damage and warn them of the danger…

Any time now… Miller broadcast getting a tad ancy; from his position he could only see part of the field but it was starting to look awfully full and he was beginning to wonder what exactly Keller was waiting for.

Just trust me a little will you? Keller sent back her scans were allowing her to see the bigger picture and revealed to her the fact that while the vanguard of the formation was penetrating near him and probably in his view the main body wasn’t quite yet in ideal position but a few more seconds and… Now!

The ensuing series of detonations tore through the jungle with terrifying force bushes, trees, animals, and of coruse the drones anything caught in the blast was pulverized in an instant. The force of the blast was such that hundred pound pieces of wood that where seconds before pieces of ten story high tree’s were hurled hundreds of feet into the air and while others were driven into other nearby trees like gargantuan arrows. Fires of coruse started almost immediately adding to the chaos and confusion and a cloud of black smoke began to evolve and cover the scene as the blazes took hold and expanded taking hold in the undergrowth and canopies first.

“Phew that was a big on.” Miller collapsed onto his butt against a nearby tree panting a little powering up a blast that big had taken allot of mana and he was feeling a bit the worse for wear.

It had been worth it though as fully 50% of the ground based drone forces had blundered into the blast zone and were effectively annihilated in an instant. The remaining units were scattered and disorganized; ripe for a counter attack. Which was just what happened moments later as Shin and Makoto lead the charge leaping into the fray from there former positions concealed in the canopy and vectored onto small isolated groups they could easily dispatch by Keller. Kou and Macmillan have reversed there earlier retreat soon joined in as well and bullets and arrows rained from the shadows of the tree tops most of them finding there marks amongst the enemy. With the two shooters laying down covering fire and keeping the drones off balance the two melee fighters were able to continue moving from group to group working them over intern.

The dense terrain and increasingly thick smoke from the spreading fires added to the confusion and made isolating the attackers to mass fire on them almost impossible. It wasn’t long before the drones where the ones pulling back and not in any kind of good order either. Seizing the initiative and seeing the momentum firmly in there corner the ground team pressed the attack pursing the enemy with intention of finishing them off for good.

================================================== ===

In the air though things we’re going quite so well Vita watched with great annoyance as four more Schwalbe Fliegen simply perforated a substanceless illusion. She was getting a bad case of Déjà vu as she popped up slightly to narrowly evade a stream of bolts form another drone before striking down and firmly planting Eisen into her attackers middle as it tried to streak past, This one was real and she got a satisfying crunch swiftly followed by an explosion as the drone tumbled from the sky out of control. But the sky was still full of fighters and they had no real clue how many of those we’re real or fake…

“Keller!” Felix barked just a tad impatient as he fired another burst of unguided shots at a nearby drone missing rather badly, hitting targets moving at several hundred miles per hour while moving at a similar speed yourself without effective electronic assistance was a little difficult… It had become clear pretty quickly that they were being jammed and spoofed and Keller had been working rather frantically for some minutes now trying to counter it with limited success.

“I think I’ve somewhat pinpointed at least where the jamming is coming from, and I think I’ll be able to tell the illusions from real contacts soon!” She reported back just a bit franticly as she worked the EM spectrum with all her considerable skill attempting to outwit her opponent. At the same time she was trying to keep some sort of track of the battle space in general particularly of the assault team who were still fighting in the jungle and so effectively out of sight visually.

Damn it Felix cursed to himself mentally this shit needed to stop NOW. “Macmillan!”

“Go.” The other man responded a moment later.

“We’re getting the shit jammed out of us up here Radar thinks she’s found where it might be coming from can you try and deal with it?” He asked a tad gruffly as he fired another burst at one of his attackers he acutally hit it this time, and it turned out to be a fucking illusion this was getting very annoying.

“Give me the coordinates.” Emil shot back and the estimated position was quickly piped to him for review it was silent for several more seconds before he answered. “We’re almost done down here I can head for that position, but I’d rather not go alone.”

“Take one person with you and send the other four inside.” Felix ordered briskly.

“Understood.” He acknowledged firmly.

“I might be able to do more if I could get closer to source permission?” Keller put in a second later.

“Granted, hell take the other two with you they’re not doing anything useful where they are.” Felix responded rather hurriedly as he’d just had a half dozen missiles launched at him and was rather busy attempting to avoid them.

================================================== ===

“Vincent!” Emil turned round toward the rest of his troops and shouted the moment his conversion ended the team had no completely cleared the base camp and was rallying up to head inside.

“What?” Irene shot back in response to having her last name barked out.

“Got new orders we’re moving out and you’re with me, the rest of you head inside we’ll catch up when we can, Kusanagi you’re in charge.” He announced gesturing for her to follow him and then moving off rather quickly without waiting for a reply with Irene rushing to catch up.

Kou just stood there for a moment watching them go before bringing his hand up to message his temples first they where supposed to have one of the heavy hitters with them, then it was going to be the six of them, and now it was just going to be the four of them going inside. He glanced over at the entrance and sighed what the hell was he gonna do about it? He had his orders after all… “Alright let’s do this Shin you’re on point.”

That one was a bit heavier then the last but not much about 5,400 words total though it's not over yet obviously! But at least at long last the fight scene has begun! Took my ass long enough to get it rolling. Given that I've already got a few thousand words done for the next segment it should come quicker god willing.

[Wild Goose]

Thunder and Flash? I spy a WW2 ref.

And eagerly awaiting sniper vs sniper.

....wait i just realised if Macmillan is here surely Price and Soap are around as well....

[Kyral]

W00t! New photoshoped image!

Hm... I'm getting better...

Spoiler for Heavily modified fan-art:

The Girl to the right is a new, yet unnamed OC of mine.
(Yes! I'm always doing the designs first!)

[Keroko]

Originally Posted by Tk3997

Well I got inspired today and went on a bit of a writing binge managing to pound out quite a bit so I present:

Chapter 3.2: SNAFU Part 2 (the big text makes it harder to miss!)

Spoiler for SNAFU Part 2:

Dig Site One, 0930 Hours, January 77 MC:

Emil dropped onto his belly and crawled forward the last few meters to the edge of the forests under a low level concealment spell. While the method wasn’t exactly dignified it served its purpose and kept him hidden from view as he approached the perimeter of the camp. He’d left his two teammates behind at the lay up point to continue observing at a distance, but he wanted a close look. Besides they’d need good ground level intelligence to plan the assault. Coming up to the edge of the cleared camp he quickly glanced around him and located a nearby bush that would give him some extra concealment while he surveyed the scene he slipped himself inside it as much as he could and gingerly moving aside a few branches he settled in to observe.

The camp, as expected, was basiclly just some tents and a few vehicles and trailers clustered in front of a sheer cliff face with the forest around it cleared to a distance of about 50 meters to the most outlying tents to the wood line. The terrain was flat and open and it would give basiclly no cover with the tents only able to offer minor concealment. Still the patrol patterns of the drones weren’t all that tight and weren’t being varied at all from what he could tell which gave the impression they didn’t expect any real trouble. If that turned out to be so then they’d at least enjoy the element of surprise. A low rubble above him drew his gaze upward for a moment to watch a four ship of aerial units lazily soar overhead. He’d been informed of there presence by Keller during the coruse of his stalk up to target though sp that was nothing new; besides those wouldn’t be his problem in the upcoming assault.

He settled into his position and continued his observation observing the enemies movements and counting off there numbers as best he could. It came out to about 30 drones on the ground by his estimation and Keller had estimated another 30 in the air. Not a tiny force by any means, but with what they had on there side he was confident they could take them barring any major fuck ups. Satisfied with his observations for now he backed out of his hide and slinked back into the jungle quickly totally disappearing from sight as he made his way back toward the rally point where the rest of the team would be assembling when they arrived.

================================================== ===

Said team was already in motion those still back at the HQ had geared up and moved out quickly once they’d gotten the contact report for the observation team; meanwhile the second recon team had also been informed and had already begun moving toward the site on there own though the current plan was for the helicopter to meet them part way then carry the entire group most of the rest of distance dropping them just beyond the horizon from the camp from were they’d proceed on foot to maintain surprise. Though all this hectic unexpected action had left them with little opportunity to get the most recent additions to the force up to speed before departure the chopper ride itself was providing fairly ample time for it now.

“So a glass cannon and a toothless boulder… Too bad we can’t smash you two together to get someone decently balanced.” Felix commented on the pair of profiles before him speaking slightly louder then he normally would have in order to be heard over the drone of the engines and rotors in the background.

“Gee don’t sugar coat it or anything.” Daisy grumbled back at him she was quite aware of some of the… issues with her chosen style, but she still didn’t really like having people point them out too her never mind so brusquely.

Rose said nothing and just sighed resignedly as she watched Daisy talked back to a member of rather elite unit who also happened to be over twice her age and of a higher rank too boot. Learning when to just shut up was not a skill she’d really developed proficiency in yet which could go a long way to explaining her still holding the rank of Private despite having notably higher then average potential and growth magically speaking.

“Well if you don’t want people to talk trash about you then you shouldn’t leave such glaring holes in your skills.” “Luckily” in this case she was talking back to someone whose response to such behavior wasn’t pulling rank but talking crap right on back.

“Now, now don’t be too nasty she’s young after all she’ll get better.” Pixy stepped in to defuse the situation before it could escalate further. Daisy looked rather smug while Felix threw his friend a mild glare which the other man didn’t even seem to notice as he continued on not missing a beat “Well assuming said glaring flaws don’t end up getting her killed before she can improve.” Now it was Felix’s turn to look smug and Daisy’s to glare.

Turning away from that though Felix glanced over at Rose who’d been rather quiet during the trip keeping to herself and having kind of scooted off to the side away from most of the rest of the people aboard.. “Something bothering you?” He queried idly.

He was startled from her thoughts by the voice in her head and quickly scanned the cabin before fixing her gaze on Felix who was lazily leaning back in his seat but clearly focused on her. “It’s nothing.” She replied with a dismissive wave.

“Yeah sure nothing that’s why you’ve barely said a thing for half an hour.” He shot back sarcastically not buying it in the slightest.

She seemed to consider it for a moment before responding again. “It’s just that I seem to be the only one worried about the fact we’re going in combat…” She finally answered honestly casting a quick glance around the cabin at the other occupants who all seemed laid backed and unconcerned starkly at odds with her own mood at the moment.

“You ever been in combat kid?” He asked casually.

“A little, but nothing of the scale this seems to be.” She informed him.

“Then listen up kid there are only four rules you need to know in combat.” Rose looked at him expectedly and he raised his hand extending his pointer finger. “Rule 1: God gave you a head, use it” He raised his middle finger. “Number 2: Keep your damn head.” Next was his ring finger. “Number 3: Never volunteer for anything.“ And last was his pinky. “And four: Don’t do anything stupid. That last one is the most important though it mostly involves abiding by the first three …”

This earned him a less then pleased grimace and hard look from the younger girl which elicited a sigh from him. “Alright fine, fine.” He conceded getting more serious. “The first thing you need to do is not psych yourself out yeah this is serious business, but you still need to keep your wits about you. But beyond that trust me we’ve got allot of experience collected here, even if it may not look it, and none of us is planning on losing anyone today so just follow our directions, do your job, and you’ll be fine.” He advised her genuinely.

“I’ll do my best, sir.” She replied with as much confidence as she could muster.

“You’d damn well better and seriously don’t do anything stupid, or else.” He came back a second later somewhat ruining the moment and earning a displeased look from Rose which he completely ignored as he closed his eyes and shifted about to try and ger comfortable and catch a bit of extra sleep while he could. Felix was jostled awake by a shift in the helicopters maneuvers as he began to stir the first thing he did was check his watch and the reason for the change quickly became clear they ought to be descending to retrieve the second recon team about now.

The helo continued its descent intending to land a nearby grassy clearing the pilot guided it down onto the small patch of opened ground with practiced ease. As the machine settled onto its wheels they sank a few inches in the ground that had been softened by recent rain, but that was as far as it went and it would tear loose easily enough on take off. A few seconds after touch down a trio of figures broke from the edge of the clearing and jogged out toward them shielding there faces with there arms as best they could across the storm of wing blown debris being kicked up by the helicopters rotors.

As they clambered aboard they looked slightly worse for wear there clothes where soaked even though it had stopped raining sometime ago the humidity was still oppressive which had slowed the drying of there garments and the moisture content had been continually relished by gallons of sweat in any case. Once there clothes had become wet dirt had of coruse begun clinging to them like glue and a layer of oily grim coated both there clothing and exposed skin while there boots tracked large globs of stinking mud onto the cabins floor.

“So… have fun on your camping trip?” Felix asked flippantly as the last of them got aboard and the ramp began closing behind them.

It took enormous self control for Kou not to lunge forward and attempt strangle the man before him and he was too worn out for a verbal tirade so he settled for a simple and widely understood gesture performed with one finger and a glare that would have struck Felix stone dead if such a thing were possible.

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20 miles West of Dig Site 1, not long after:

“Alright boys and girls this is as far as this bus goes.” The pilot announced over the intercom as she guided the helo in toward the designated landing zone. The mood had gotten more somber and the atmosphere a bit quieter as the group had neared there drop off point most discussion since retrieving the recon team had focused on the mission and planning it. Now as the team stood and prepared to disembark it was quiet and the mood more serious then ever. They might not be dropping straight into battle but once their feet hit the ground they’d still be in a combat zone.

The chopper settled down and the ramp dropped the signal for everyone aboard to quickly exit. Upon hitting the ground they all made for the trees as quickly as possible and the entire unit was soon under the cover of the jungle; the helicopter meanwhile was already off the ground and heading out before the last of them had even gotten out of the clearing. Once out of the open the team quickly regrouped and found a trail the recon team had reported they could use to reach there location quickly. While not all of those present were great fliers most could at least hover noticeably faster then most people could sprint and the few that didn’t fly at all had other methods of moving quickly…

Kou pushed off another branch sailing forward nearly 50 feet in a single bound to the next branch then pushing off that one in turn and launching himself toward his next target this one only 40 feet away. He couldn’t fly, but in an environment like this he was acutally arguably more agile then someone that could yes while the jungle was an awful place to spend time it did have its upsides if you happened to be a magically powered ninja… Suddenly something caught his attention and he aborted his next leap to drop from the canopy rolling as he landed and popping up to press himself flat against the trunk of a large tree in one smooth motion.

“Thunder.” He mentally broadcast the agreed upon codeword.

“Flash.” The response came back and a moment later Emil stepped out from behind another tree about 100 meters away his rifle held in one hand above his head. It wasn’t lost on Kou that the position he emerged from had a clear line of sight to where he was standing, but pushing aside his minor annoyance at being “beaten” like that he strode out to meet the other man. As the neared each other a dull roar above them drew both there eyes skyward for a moment before both of them dove back into cover as the noise passed into the distance and after waiting a short time on top of that they both emerged once more.

“They fliers have been patrolling this area pretty regularly, but they’re not alternating the timing so they’ve been pretty easy to avoid. They shouldn’t be back for another 15 minutes or so.” He informed Kou as they linked up.

Kou noted with a bit of annoyance that Emil appeared much cleaner and better kempt in general then he was, but managed to keep his attitude professional. “My partner should be…” A dull thump a few meters to the right drew both men’s attention as they glanced over to see Shin standing up from his landing. “Right there.” Kou finished before turning back to Emil. “The rest of them aren’t too far behind either.”

“I figured the cave we’re hold up in is about a kilometer up this hill should be enough room for all of us to hunker down in and get ready.” He informed the younger agent.

A cave? He managed to find a cave to hold up in? Of all the…! God damn lucky bastard. Kou cursed to himself.

================================================== ===

The rest of the team caught up quickly enough and with Emil in the lead it wasn’t long before for the first time that entire taskforce was now united albeit it in the rather dank setting of a cave in the middle of the jungle. Despite the surroundings the final planning secession and briefing before the attack was now getting underway.

“Alright then lay it out.” Felix gestured lazily and Rebbeca quickly summon up a large holographic window parallel to and a few inches off the ground. While it wasn’t quite a proper planning table it beat drawing in the dirt with sticks. The window was quickly filled out by a topographic map of the terrain onto which was quickly overlaid a myriad of symbols that represented know enemy positions and there composition.

Though Irene had led the investigation and was still nominally in charge combat was not her specialty and she’d delegated the task of leading the attack to Felix and Vita; she’d declined to say who was whose superior opting to “let them work that out themselves”… Some might call that being a coward she preferred to think of it as self preservation.

“We didn’t expect them to have drones nor do we have a damn clue where they got all of them, but we’ll just have to deal with it. I trust all of you have received at least minor drilling in countering AMFs?” Felix continued once the holographic picture was completed and glanced up at all those assembled inside the now somewhat cramped cave.

He got nods all around from all present such training had become standard and mandated across the TSAB in the wake of the Jail Incident, but that said just because something was mandated hardly meant it got done in a timely manner. It looked like luck was with them here and he’d be spared having to give a half assed lecture about it on the eve of battle.

“Alright then let’s get too it.” He announced squatting down beside the hologram. “The plan we’ve hashed out.” He nodded over to Vita who was standing across the display from him. “Is pretty simply overall the drones appear to be very closely based on the models already encountered given that we know they have a number of weakness we can exploit; hopefully. The biggest one being that even the smartest of them is still very stupid. Luring them into a series of ambush shouldn’t be difficult and should allow us to eliminate them quickly.”

“Which is important because once the attack begins it’s entirely possible the guys inside might bolt; so far as we know the entrance at the camp is the only way out, but note that ‘as far as we know bit’. Once we start we need to break them quickly and get inside.” Vita added

Felix took over once more and continued “Out recon unit-“ A quick nod toward Emil. “Reported that two people entered the dig site while three others remained outside, but before we deal with them we need to get rid of the drones. The ones in the air we’re going to have to deal with the old fashioned way and that’ll be the job of the three of us” He nodded toward Vita and Pixy “The glass cannon-” That earned him a glare from said cannon which he ignored. “The walking radome and the mighty glacier will remain to the rear in support. Everyone else will form the unit that will assault the camp and then the dig site itself.”

“Hopefully by the time you’ve cleared the camp at least one of us will be able to break away from the aerial combat and join you for the push into the dig site itself, but if not you’re too precede inside, but if things look dicey in anyway in there don’t do anything stupid just fall back.” Vita informed said assault unit seriously Emil would be in charge and from what she could tell he was fairly well experienced, but most of the rest of them weren’t and she wanted to make damn sure they didn’t do anything foolish.

“Alright that’s the basic now it’s time to talk specifics…” Felix took over once more and began to dive into the nuts and bolts of the plan positions, time frames, what ifs, etc. This was the boring the part and yet it was also the part that assured that everything acutally worked and everyone knew what to do once the spells started flying. It was even more important then normal here as well since this group hadn’t worked together before, hell most of them had only met about two days ago.

This unit definitely wasn’t exactly ideal, but by some stroke of luck they acutally seemed to have what they needed to make this all work… assuming things acutally went as planned, but really what we’re the odds of that? In his estimation this entire plan had about a 10% of working beautifully, a 30% of kind of working, and a 60% of turning into a giant disaster, but hey what could they do? There was a chance they could do it and so duty pretty much bound them to try… Man duty sucked.

================================================== ===
Dig Site 1, 1400 Hours.

Once the plan had been laid out in detail and everyone had there assignments the unit had split up into its assigned groups and spent the next hour quietly infiltrating into there jumping off positions. Felix checked his watch if all was on schedule everyone ought to be in position by now… “All units report ready.” He broadcast.

“Bravo all set.” Emil responded from his forward near the edge of the camp he glanced left at Kou who was also in cover weapon held ready and three arrows nocked on it.

“Charlie ready.” Irene announced as she watched Miller arm the fuse on his last little surprise from her tree top perch and began pulling back to toward her, Makoto, and Shin.

“Delta is good to go.” Keller announced glancing back over her shoulder at Daisy and Rose who we’re set up on the reverse slope of the hill she was currently prone atop.

He didn’t need to know the status of Able since he was the leader of Able and knew damn well they were ready. “Alright all units in position, right then Glass start us off with a bang.” Felix announced after confirming that everyone was in position and ready to commence.

“The name isn’t Glass.” Daisy back irritably, but she’d already deployed a magic array and was powering up her first shot even as she said it. “You Ready Keller?”

“Target’s painted go for it.” Keller responded as she began illuminating one of the larger groups of drones patrolling the perimeter from her position up hill her position gave her line of sight to the targets while keeping the somewhat… fragile Daisy out of it. A second later Daisy’s first shot soared over head arcing gracefully through the air on a ballistic trajectory apparently aiming for a direct strike on it’s intended but as the bolt reached an altitude of about 20 meters and mere moments from impact it shattered blanketing everything below in a cone shaped spray magic shrapnel. The drones below it caught flat footed without there AMFs engaged we’re torn to shreds by the attack.

Within a matter of seconds pretty much every aerial unit on the field altered it’s heading in the direction the attack had come from, and the ground based units quickly followed suit which brought them out into the open and funneled them toward one point… “Okay… hit um!” A moment later one drones crashed to the ground screwed by now less then three arrows another basiclly exploded as it was perorated by armor piercing rounds which found on it’s capacitors. Both Emil and Kou switched targets and continued firing even as the rest of the ground based drones altered there heading to meet the new thread and return fire began to zero in on them.

The aerials meanwhile where boring in on Daisy and company, but just before the first four ship could enter firing range a green beam flashed out of the canopy closed the range in moments and swept across the entire flight blowing it out of the sky in one fell swoop, two more craft nearby exploded seconds later as both were perforated by a pair of red bolts. The others nearby scattered several sending a barrage of rockets back toward the area the fire had come from Pixy and Vita charged out of the canopy avoiding the barrage and rushing to close the range. Felix shot out a few seconds behind them and cut loose another blast only to watch the intended target snap roll the left and avoid the strike. Hmm buggers seem a bit faster… He mused to himself as he juked left to avoid his targets return fire as it sliced by him and pulled into a hard left turn. Not much smarter though. He added as he pivoted in place and cut losses a swarm of homing bolts… and watched them totally fizzle as they all failed the track properly. “The hell?!”

================================================== ===

“Drawback!“ Macmillan barked as he pounded out another three round burst then ducked as return fire from the drones tore back at him one shot missing by a matter of inches. The fire was getting intense and the jungle around the pair was quickly being torn to shreds. The drones weren’t aiming at them so much as the general area the attacks were coming from this far the only victims of the barrage were scores of innocent trees, but the fire was now getting a little close for comfort. And both of the marksmen we’re now beating a hasty retreat as the drones continued to advance laying down a torrent of fire. Kou had taken to the canopy and was bouncing from branch to branch with grace that would make a monkey green with envy. Macmillan opted for a more conventional approach and merely sprinted like the dickens down a reasonably clear animal track he’d seen earlier jumping the occasional bunch of roots along the way.

The drones meanwhile heedless of the danger or the fact that the jungle was claustrophobic death trap ripe for an ambush and ideal for a smaller number of attackers looking to widdle down a superior force charged into the undergrowth with gusto. That charge forward ended pretty much the second they hit said undergrowth at which time they were forced to slow to little more then a human walking pace as they picked there way around and through the obstacles in the jungle. There formation also began to be spread out and the dense terrain meant they couldn’t really see each other for mass there fire on a single target for that… All that would have been bad enough but the poor tin cans were blundering into something even worse at that very moment.

“Come into my web said the Spider to the fly…” Miller grinned wickedly as he watched the drones wander forward in a fair disorganized extended line in search of there attackers all the while unknowingly following them directly into a preplanned killzone.

Keller continued monitoring the situation with area scans and waiting until the maximum number of enemies had entered the target area before giving Miller the signal. It was a balancing act as while they didn’t really want too many enemies to penetrate past the field setting it off before the bulk of the force entered would only do minor damage and warn them of the danger…

Any time now… Miller broadcast getting a tad ancy; from his position he could only see part of the field but it was starting to look awfully full and he was beginning to wonder what exactly Keller was waiting for.

Just trust me a little will you? Keller sent back her scans were allowing her to see the bigger picture and revealed to her the fact that while the vanguard of the formation was penetrating near him and probably in his view the main body wasn’t quite yet in ideal position but a few more seconds and… Now!

The ensuing series of detonations tore through the jungle with terrifying force bushes, trees, animals, and of coruse the drones anything caught in the blast was pulverized in an instant. The force of the blast was such that hundred pound pieces of wood that where seconds before pieces of ten story high tree’s were hurled hundreds of feet into the air and while others were driven into other nearby trees like gargantuan arrows. Fires of coruse started almost immediately adding to the chaos and confusion and a cloud of black smoke began to evolve and cover the scene as the blazes took hold and expanded taking hold in the undergrowth and canopies first.

“Phew that was a big on.” Miller collapsed onto his butt against a nearby tree panting a little powering up a blast that big had taken allot of mana and he was feeling a bit the worse for wear.

It had been worth it though as fully 50% of the ground based drone forces had blundered into the blast zone and were effectively annihilated in an instant. The remaining units were scattered and disorganized; ripe for a counter attack. Which was just what happened moments later as Shin and Makoto lead the charge leaping into the fray from there former positions concealed in the canopy and vectored onto small isolated groups they could easily dispatch by Keller. Kou and Macmillan have reversed there earlier retreat soon joined in as well and bullets and arrows rained from the shadows of the tree tops most of them finding there marks amongst the enemy. With the two shooters laying down covering fire and keeping the drones off balance the two melee fighters were able to continue moving from group to group working them over intern.

The dense terrain and increasingly thick smoke from the spreading fires added to the confusion and made isolating the attackers to mass fire on them almost impossible. It wasn’t long before the drones where the ones pulling back and not in any kind of good order either. Seizing the initiative and seeing the momentum firmly in there corner the ground team pressed the attack pursing the enemy with intention of finishing them off for good.

================================================== ===

In the air though things we’re going quite so well Vita watched with great annoyance as four more Schwalbe Fliegen simply perforated a substanceless illusion. She was getting a bad case of Déjà vu as she popped up slightly to narrowly evade a stream of bolts form another drone before striking down and firmly planting Eisen into her attackers middle as it tried to streak past, This one was real and she got a satisfying crunch swiftly followed by an explosion as the drone tumbled from the sky out of control. But the sky was still full of fighters and they had no real clue how many of those we’re real or fake…

“Keller!” Felix barked just a tad impatient as he fired another burst of unguided shots at a nearby drone missing rather badly, hitting targets moving at several hundred miles per hour while moving at a similar speed yourself without effective electronic assistance was a little difficult… It had become clear pretty quickly that they were being jammed and spoofed and Keller had been working rather frantically for some minutes now trying to counter it with limited success.

“I think I’ve somewhat pinpointed at least where the jamming is coming from, and I think I’ll be able to tell the illusions from real contacts soon!” She reported back just a bit franticly as she worked the EM spectrum with all her considerable skill attempting to outwit her opponent. At the same time she was trying to keep some sort of track of the battle space in general particularly of the assault team who were still fighting in the jungle and so effectively out of sight visually.

Damn it Felix cursed to himself mentally this shit needed to stop NOW. “Macmillan!”

“Go.” The other man responded a moment later.

“We’re getting the shit jammed out of us up here Radar thinks she’s found where it might be coming from can you try and deal with it?” He asked a tad gruffly as he fired another burst at one of his attackers he acutally hit it this time, and it turned out to be a fucking illusion this was getting very annoying.

“Give me the coordinates.” Emil shot back and the estimated position was quickly piped to him for review it was silent for several more seconds before he answered. “We’re almost done down here I can head for that position, but I’d rather not go alone.”

“Take one person with you and send the other four inside.” Felix ordered briskly.

“Understood.” He acknowledged firmly.

“I might be able to do more if I could get closer to source permission?” Keller put in a second later.

“Granted, hell take the other two with you they’re not doing anything useful where they are.” Felix responded rather hurriedly as he’d just had a half dozen missiles launched at him and was rather busy attempting to avoid them.

================================================== ===

“Vincent!” Emil turned round toward the rest of his troops and shouted the moment his conversion ended the team had no completely cleared the base camp and was rallying up to head inside.

“What?” Irene shot back in response to having her last name barked out.

“Got new orders we’re moving out and you’re with me, the rest of you head inside we’ll catch up when we can, Kusanagi you’re in charge.” He announced gesturing for her to follow him and then moving off rather quickly without waiting for a reply with Irene rushing to catch up.

Kou just stood there for a moment watching them go before bringing his hand up to message his temples first they where supposed to have one of the heavy hitters with them, then it was going to be the six of them, and now it was just going to be the four of them going inside. He glanced over at the entrance and sighed what the hell was he gonna do about it? He had his orders after all… “Alright let’s do this Shin you’re on point.”

That one was a bit heavier then the last but not much about 5,400 words total though it's not over yet obviously! But at least at long last the fight scene has begun! Took my ass long enough to get it rolling. Given that I've already got a few thousand words done for the next segment it should come quicker god willing.

I have to say, this chapter had me tilt my head and wonder "More drones?" Dunno, I know it makes sense and all (though I do wonder as to their powersource) but it just ad that 'eh?' feeling.

Originally Posted by dkellis

First draft of the Lyrical Babel timeline. I'm just putting this up here so I can link to it.

Spoiler:

Unknown
- An offshoot of the Al Hazardian civilization mysteriously vanishes en masse, possibly due to a major dimensional disturbance.

Over 1,500 Years Ago
- The Serene Tower is activated by unknown means, and the resultant magical backlash almost plunges Midchilda into an Ice Age. The Tower is deactivated in time, and dimension-shifted away.

MC 029
- First recorded detection of a unique magical signature, indicating a huge amount of magical energy being used. This is quickly classified and code-named "Loki", with subsequent pings nicknamed "Loki Flares".

MC 053
- Galant Astra takes on the code-name Rubicante, meets Antaeus (Leo Gravinchy) and Maven (Sallah Velite). Harlequin (Carmina Electra) joins soon after. Rote Fluegel is formed.

MC 057
- Moreau Incident. Rote Fluegel liberates several victims of genetic manipulation, among them one Jolie Huyens.
- Jolie joins Rote Fluegel as an honorary member.

MC 059
February
- A landmark decision is made on the rights of the victims of the Moreau Incident, granting them full rights and responsibilities as citizens.

12 August
- Galant Astra and Jolie Huyens marry. Wedding is crashed by Feuermacher, but Rote Fluegel handily sends him packing.

MC 060
5 May
- Reiz Astra born.

Late Summer
- Nova Altmann enlists in the TSAB at 18.

Early Winter
- Loki Flare.
- Forbidden Device Incident: Carmina renames herself Black Harlequin, turns on her former teammates.
- Showdown at Rote Fluegel's home base. Antaeus seriously injured protecting Reiz, falls comatose. Maven and Jolie killed. Black Harlequin incinerated by Rubicante.

31 Dec
- Antaeus disappears from the hospital.

MC 061
January
- 9-year old Rancer LaSalle is enrolled into a TSAB-sponsored boarding school. His prior records are vague, but seem to indicate that he was grew up in an orphanage.

MC 065
Spring - Summer
- Loki Flare.
- The Precia Testarossa incident. First Lieutenant Nova Altmann is seriously injured during the assault on the Garden of Time, and spends several months in intensive care.

Winter
- Nova overcomes her depression, transfers to Special Investigations.

MC 069
- Vincent DeVaux receives his Engineering doctorate and Device Meister certification, begins work as a civilian-attached contractor to the TSAB.
- Ivey enlists in the TSAB at 16, quickly placed into accelerated training.
- Nova promoted to Captain.

MC 070
- Rancer passes solo A rank examination, promoted to Second Lieutenant, cools his heels waiting for assignments.
- Ivey passes solo A rank examination, promoted to Second Lieutenant, transfers to Intelligence.
- Ivey meets Rancer.

MC 072
Spring
- Rancer passes solo AA rank examination, promoted to First Lieutenant.
- DeVaux disappears while researching in the Infinite Library. All investigations lead nowhere.
- Laura and Luna Veiron enlist in the TSAB at age 20.

Mid Summer
- Rancer and Ivey have a falling out.
- Ivey saves Rancer's life, but is seriously injured in the process. Spends the rest of MC 072 in critical condition.

MC 073
Spring
- DeVaux reappears exactly one year after his disappearance on a completely different world, and proceeds to raid several museums and banks.
- Laura and Luna graduate, and are assigned to Intelligence.

Autumn
- Loki Flare.
- Ivey is released from the hospital, reconciles with Rancer.
- The investigation on the botched mission finishes inconclusively, and neither Ivey nor Rancer are punished further than a reprimand. Rancer transfers out, and Ivey follows him.

MC 074
- Nova promoted to Major, transferred to the 37th Criminal Investigation And Apprehension unit.
- Rancer and Ivey transfer to the 37th CIAA as well.
- Rancer is quickly made 2IC after the 37th's first mission, taking down Howling Talon quickly and safely.
- DeVaux begins hiring mercenaries to do his work. He attempts to contact Jail Scaglietti, but was soundly rebuffed by Uno.

MC 075
May
- Metis successfully accomplishes her first heist, under orders from DeVaux. The crime is overshadowed by the flashier Hotel Augusta Incident elsewhere.

September
- The launch and subsequent destruction of the Cradle.
- The 37th CIAA distinguish themselves in the defense of the city during the launch of the Cradle; Rancer and Ivey concentrate on helping and protecting civilians, rather than smashing drones.

December
- Work begins in earnest on the Logistic Infinite Library Application project. Existing Librarians are disgruntled, but admit that they have no choice in the matter.

MC 076
January
- Rancer and Ivey receive promotions to Captain and First Lieutenant respectively.

June
- Specialized Heuristic Organized Data Access Node 43893 goes online, and the Logistic Infinite Library Application project is declared a success.

September
- Reiz enlists in the TSAB, despite the disapproval of her father.

Early November
- Loki Flare. Certain members of TSAB Intelligence carefully set up a covert task force to investigate this phenomenon, while retaining plausible deniability to their own superiors.

Late MC 076: Lyrical Melancholy

29 November
- Rancer and Ivey explore Site E-203 on the 194th Non-Administered World.

4 December
- Corporal Reiz Astra joins the 37th CIAA.

21 December
- Sergeant Laura Veiron and Private Luna Veiron are attached to the 37th CIAA.

25 December
- Caro Ru Rushe is kidnapped by Metis.


to be continued

I see more norse references. :3

And I see you're going to mess with Caro. That's going to be interesting, not many authors do that.

Originally Posted by Kyral

W00t! New photoshoped image!

Hm... I'm getting better...

Spoiler for Heavily modified fan-art:

The Girl to the right is a new, yet unnamed OC of mine.
(Yes! I'm always doing the designs first!)

Niiiiice. You really did a good job on turning Yuuno's suit into a uniform.

Small hint, you may want to ty experimenting with soft-brushes and blur tools for hair too, it can help make the girl on the left have less jagged hair.

[Kyral]

Originally Posted by Keroko

Niiiiice. You really did a good job on turning Yuuno's suit into a uniform.

Small hint, you may want to ty experimenting with soft-brushes and blur tools for hair too, it can help make the girl on the left have less jagged hair.

Thank you!

And thanks for the hint. I will try so next time. At least as good as I can wth my good ol' PS 5.5 here.

And I just reuploaded the picture. I saw that there was a wrong layer on Rinyas (the girl on the left) eye. Somehow a piece of skin color was shoved over it... O_o;

[Tk3997]

Originally Posted by Keroko

I have to say, this chapter had me tilt my head and wonder "More drones?" Dunno, I know it makes sense and all (though I do wonder as to their powersource) but it just ad that 'eh?' feeling.

I acutally do have a plan and there presence is part of the plot the characters are going to want to know where the hell they came from too. Anyway Like you said it makes sense and besides they’re they do make lovely cannon fodder and we’re still in round one AKA the “bash your way through the small fry to get to the boss” phase of the battle.

Sorry if it seems a tad pedestrian, but I've always sort of fancied this as a "Real magic girl" fic. So the enemies aren't going to be eleventh dimensional demons from hell led by Lucifer himself that can only be defeated by the power of love and cute little girls, and the crack and outside canon content will be fairly low.

I see more norse references. :3

And I see you're going to mess with Caro. That's going to be interesting, not many authors do that.

I don't think I've seen Caro play a major role in any fic... um ever.

Originally Posted by Wild Goose

Thunder and Flash? I spy a WW2 ref.

I have my fun where I can and try to keep it inconspicuous the guys that get it get and the guys that don't aren't bashed over the head with it... usually. (and it certainly had nothing to do with me re-watching Band of Brothers recently...)

And eagerly awaiting sniper vs sniper.

It acutally won't be too long in this chapter more of a teaser the big sniper duel is planned for later in the fic.

....wait i just realised if Macmillan is here surely Price and Soap are around as well....

Yeah you used them (well Soap) in the OFM twit. You mention him in that capture fic you posted way back when. Though rather ironically this version of Macmillan is heavily based on another version of Soap from my crack fic after he gained magical powers... Hey there's a reason it's crack.

[Comartemis]

So can I assume that nobody else has found any problems with Rex besides the AoE of Barret Shell?

[Keroko]

Originally Posted by Kyral

Thank you!

And thanks for the hint. I will try so next time. At least as good as I can wth my good ol' PS 5.5 here.

And I just reuploaded the picture. I saw that there was a wrong layer on Rinyas (the girl on the left) eye. Somehow a piece of skin color was shoved over it... O_o;

Ah, layers.

Anyway, Hayate sure is clingy with him...

Originally Posted by Tk3997

I acutally do have a plan and there presence is part of the plot the characters are going to want to know where the hell they came from too. Anyway Like you said it makes sense and besides they’re they do make lovely cannon fodder and we’re still in round one AKA the “bash your way through the small fry to get to the boss” phase of the battle.

Sorry if it seems a tad pedestrian, but I've always sort of fancied this as a "Real magic girl" fic. So the enemies aren't going to be eleventh dimensional demons from hell led by Lucifer himself that can only be defeated by the power of love and cute little girls, and the crack and outside canon content will be fairly low.

True, but after the first few chapters I was expecting... dunno... human oponents.

Originally Posted by Tk3997

I don't think I've seen Caro play a major role in any fic... um ever.

Shows how much of an impact she made.

Originally Posted by Comartemis

So can I assume that nobody else has found any problems with Rex besides the AoE of Barret Shell?

If we did, don't you think we'd have torn into them by now?

[Comartemis]

Just making sure.

For the record, the only changes being implemented into the final version are the addition of a new spell with grenade-launcher properties and a five-second charge time, and the toning-down of Barret Shell's explosive power to approximately the level of incendiary rounds or somewhere below the level of a Swallow Flier.

Once I post Rex's final revision I'll be getting to work on my next project, Operation De-Shaft Hayate, and an OC strongly related to said project.

Spoiler for Meet my unnamed Steel Mage. For real, this time.:

Wish me luck.

[Comartemis]

And here it is, my first completely successful de-haxxed character post!

Spoiler for Rex Atkins:

Name: Rex “Hotspot” Atkins
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Age: 14
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 160 lbs
Skin: Pale
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Magic System: Neo-Belka
Ranking: AAA
Moral Alignment: Neutral Good

Spoiler for History:

Rex Atkins was born on TSAB Administrated World #221 in MC 067. Born into a fairly wealthy family and a sheltered lifestyle, Rex distinguished himself as an unusually precocious child in his early years. He got along better with adults than with children his own age, he displayed an unusual thirst for knowledge, and he often became fixated on one subject or activity to the exclusion of all others.

Around the time Rex turned six years old, he became obsessed with the idea of becoming a combat mage, inspired, perhaps, by bedtime stories of epic heroism performed by mages in the days of the Belkan Imperium. Fortunately for Rex, his dream was made possible by his possession of an unnaturally powerful linker core (a natural B-rank), and when he was eight years old he ran away from home and enlisted in the TSAB Ground Forces Academy on Mid-Childa.

While the army lifestyle proved to be far less glamorous than he’d made it out to be, Rex ploughed through his studies with a single-minded determination to become the best mage he could possibly be. With the goal of achieving AA-rank before he graduated, Rex eschewed social interaction in favor of focusing on his studies and enhancing his magical strength, going so far as to spend several months in the Takamachi School of Suicidally Intense Training until his partner, one Iris Testarossa Harlaown, called him on it out of fear that he might do permanent damage to himself. Following a gentle lecture from Iris’s second mother, Takamachi Nanoha, Rex cut back on the intensive training, though he would occasionally lapse into it again for short periods of time out of habit.

Rex graduated from the GFA near the top of his class, along with Iris and her adopted sister, Vivio Takamachi. Where Iris and Vivio chose to become Enforcers, however, Rex chose to follow his own path, taking his natural skill with shooting spells and joining the sniper corps for advanced marksmanship training.

It was during this time that Rex constructed his intelligent device, Distant Echo, and caught the attention of his superiors in a very bad way. Distant Echo’s usage of solid slugs in its’ Deadeye form nearly got Rex brought up on charges of violation of the mass weapons ban until Rex demonstrated that the weapon was entirely magic-powered and therefore did not technically qualify as a non-magical firearm, despite working in much the same way as a gauss cannon. Despite clearly being in the wrong, Rex’s superiors were slow to forgive being shown up by a student, particularly in front of a crowd of other students, and Rex quickly found that his only support in the sniper corps came from his immediate superior, Vice Gransenic.

This difficulty with his superiors caused numerous problems for Rex as he attempted to graduate, forcing him to serve an extra year in the sniper corps before finally being released as a fully-certified sniper. Immediately following this, Rex was transferred into Hell’s Angels, a notorious Enforcer unit composed of none other than his old friends, Iris and Vivio. He remains with the Angels as of MC 081.

Spoiler for Character Description:

Rex is best described as a Badass Bookworm; while he is extremely proficient with a wide array of shooting spells and a general master of ranged combat, he is also socially inept and awkward when dealing with people his own age, and as a result he often stays quiet, saying little unless there is something which needs to be said.

A direct result of his eschewing of social interaction in his childhood, Rex often commits social taboos, bringing up sensitive topics at inappropriate times; he has especially bad luck with girls his own age, and he’s long since lost count of the number of times he’s said something to a girl that got him slapped. Iris and Vivio are the exceptions to this, having gotten used to his thickheadedness a long time ago.

In addition, Rex has trouble accepting the opinions of others when they differ from his own. While he holds to the belief that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, trying to get him to change his own opinions is always an uphill battle; in many cases, the more his beliefs are challenged, the closer he clings to them. This can go to remarkably childish extremes at times; for instance, while Rex acknowledges the logic behind the mentality of “sacrifice one to save the many”, he absolutely refuses to acknowledge the “rightness” of that view, and denounces anyone who would make that choice.

In spite of his flaws, however, Rex is a genuinely good person at heart. He hates to see people in pain and does everything in his power to help anyone who asks for his assistance, and he is doggedly loyal to those few friends that he has; threats against Iris and Vivio are guaranteed to bring out what Rex refers to as his “inner SPARTAN”.

Spoiler for Powers and Magic Information:

In contrast to his awkwardness in social settings, Rex has proven to be extraordinarily capable on the battlefield through his usage of shooting spells at short, medium, and long range. While he has been known to use bombardment-type spells on occasion, his “Hotspot” nickname came about from his tendency to cause more collateral damage with a few well-placed Barett Shells than most mages could pull off with a bombardment spell of equal power.

Rex’s marksmanship skills are simply unbelievable, and not just with sniping techniques; he has also proven himself to be a crack shot at short and medium ranges, using either his unnamed pistol-type storage device or Distant Echo’s assault rifle configuration. His peers often claimed he could shoot the wings off a fly at 300 meters whie blindfolded, and while Rex denies these claims, he also has a track record for being unusually modest in regards to his own skills.

Part of that accuracy, however, can be attributed to a useful little pair of goggles Rex invented during his time in the sniper corps. Originally created “just to make me feel a bit like a badass”, these goggles are linked to Distant Echo’s sensor suite, providing Rex with a heads-up display whenever he dons them. Features of this HUD include an ammo counter (DE’s calculations as to how many of each spell Rex can cast before exhausting himself), a targeting reticule (linked to DE’s barrel) a built-in compass and rangefinder, and a map of the immediate area including positions of allies and enemies, which can be expanded with the usage of an Area Search spell. The goggles also have a variety of ‘sight’ modes, allowing Rex to see in infrared, x-ray, or magesight vision (the last being tuned to detect magical energies).

Spoiler for Device Data:

Device: Distant Echo
Type: Intelligent
Magical Color: Light Green
A.I. Characteristics: Highly developed, speaks English in a female voice, has developed her own personality. Possesses a dry sense of humor.

Storage Form: One of two dogtags, the other being XTC.

Deadeye Form: A large anti-materiel sniper rifle very similar in form to a Barrett M82. The Deadeye form is calibrated for long-distance attacks using solid slugs. The shells are conjured and stored in a ten-round box magazine on the weapon’s underside, and loaded and fired by an internal mechanism that launches the rounds down the length of the barrel. The barrel itself is heavily enchanted to magnify the speeds at which these projectiles travel severalfold, essentially turning the Deadeye form into a magical gauss cannon. The device can also make use of magical rounds if it is necessary, but there is little point to this.

Arbitrator Form: A close-range second form designed for intense ranged combat with multiple enemies. The Arbitrator form transforms Distant Echo into an assault rifle bearing a strong resemblance to an MA5C ICWS. The Arbitrator form sacrifices the power provided by the extended barrel in exchange for a design setup calibrated to form and fire spells as quickly as possible, drastically increasing Echo’s rate of fire in exchange for power. The device can also launch a quartet of Blaster Bits on command to enhance the user’s ability to lay down covering and suppressive fire.

Device: XTC-007
Type: Unique
Magical Color: Light Green
A.I. Characteristics: N/A

Storage Form: One of two dogtags, the other being Distant Echo.

Standard Form: A simple pistol-type device. Bears a strong resemblance to a Mateba Autorevolver, with the gun’s cylinder containing a variation of the CVK-72 cartridge system. The XTC-007 holds a maximum of ten cartridges at a time, and features a unique firing system that utilizes the cartridge as ammunition; rather than using the spent cartridge to power a spell (though it can also be used this way), the power in the cartridge is focused through the barrel and launched as a semi-focused ranged attack of approximately A-rank. This allows Rex to fire off snap shots without taking time to form a spell, a powerful advantage in close-quarters combat.

Spoiler for Miscellanious Abilities:

Area Search EX: One of Rex’s most-used spells, and one of his most useful. Area Search performs as it usually does, scanning the surrounding area via magical pulses which read the environment and display things the mage wishes to see. With assistance from Distant Echo, Rex commonly uses this to scan the structural integrity of a target building and locate weak points or key support structures. Alternatively, an aimless pulse of this spell will read the surrounding environment and provide Rex with a map of the immediate area, which displays on the HUD on the inside of his goggles.

Feather Fall: A slow-fall spell which acts as a magical parachute when Rex leaps or falls from high places. Has saved him from many a close scrape with gravity.

Lighting: An extremely basic D-rank spell which produces a small ball of light. Rex usually creates one of these in Distant Echo’s barrel, allowing him to see in dark areas as if he’d bolted on a tactical flashlight. Rex typically only uses this when his goggles are rendered inoperable by environmental conditions.

Barret Seeker: A special homing spell which Rex uses in conjunction with Area Seach EX. Barret Seeker uses the data provided by Area Seach EX to designate target locations or enemies with a magical ‘marker’ which causes the next fired spell to home in on those locations or enemies. In the case of stationary targets, a course is plotted to the target using the acquired data, allowing Rex’s next spell to maneuver through buildings and around obstacles to hit targets out of his line of sight.

In the case of enemy mages and other moving targets, some factor of the target’s status is used as a beacon by which to track their movements; mages are typically tracked by their magical signatures, while vehicles are targeted using heat emissions or similar data. Tracking moving targets is much more difficult than targeting stationary ones, however, due to the limitations of the spell. A mage targeted by one of these spells can easily throw off the targeting data simply by using a spell of sufficient power, usually a bombardment spell of B-rank or higher. This creates a fluctuation in the magical signature which confuses the homing rounds, causing them to lose track of their target and go off course. Rex is currently working on a way to overcome this, but is having little success at present.

Reflexor: The only self-enhancement spell in Rex’s arsenal (and if anyone can come up with a better name, please give me a heads-up). Reflexor significantly boosts Rex’s reaction speed and reflexes, which has the side effect of making everything seem to move slower from Rex’s perspective. Bullet Time, in essence. The upper limits of this spell’s power have not yet been determined, but Rex has not explored those limits out of fear of doing permanent damage to his nervous system.

Spoiler for Defensive Abilities:

Barrier Jacket: Rex’s barrier jacket is nearly identical to the standard uniform of the average mage in the ground forces, consisting of boots, long pants, a shirt covered by a jacket, and a pair of gloves, all colored in black and dark green.

Defenser Plus: Rex’s standard shield-type spell. Provides decent protection in all directions, and doubles as Distant Echo’s auto-guard spell.

Duster Shell: Conjures a small pseudomatter sphere in one of Rex’s hands. Tossing this at the ground releases a large cloud of smoke and dust, much like a smoke grenade.

Spoiler for Offensive Abilities:

Barret Shell: Rex’s number one most-used attack spell. Barret Shell creates an explosive pseudomatter bullet, similar to Vita’s Swallow Flyer spell. Where Swallow Flyer takes the form of a large metallic sphere, however, Rex’s Barret Shells are usually no larger than .50 caliber bullets, and while they can be utilized as thrown weapons, they are far more effective when fired from Distant Echo. Barret Shells have approximately half the explosive power of one of Vita’s Schwabe Fligen shells.

Barret Slayer: An enhanced version of Barret Shell, Barret Slayer increases the explosive power of Barret Shell at the cost of a five-second charge time. The enhanced explosion is approximately on the level of modern handgrenades, with an unshielded kill zone of approximately 5 meters. Due to the increased power required for this spell, Rex can only fire ten consecutive shells before exhausting himself and needing to cool down for approximately one minute.

Barret Burst: An armor-piercing shotgun-style barret shot. This variation of the Barret Shell coats the shell in a layer of magical protection, much like Teana Lanstar’s Variable Barret. On contact with a shielded target, the magic shell detonates along with the slug, providing a slight increase in offensive power.

However, when the shield the spell is used against is of A-rank or lower, the explosion of the magic shell is usually enough for the slug to penetrate the shield. If this is accomplished, the slug fragments into a lethal cloud of directed shrapnel which few barrier jackets are able to completely deflect.

Barret Sniper: A simplified Barret Shell which trades explosive power for the ability to be formed and fired extremely quickly for an extremely low mana cost. These are most commonly used by Rex when using XTC-007, but are almost always the spell of choice for the Arbitrator form’s Blaster Bits.

Blaze Cannon: Similar to Chrono Harlaown’s spell of the same name, this spell launches a jet of flame from Distant Echo’s barrel, turning DE into a short-range flamethrower. Possesses about the same range as Subaru Nakajima’s Divine Buster variation.

Max Caliber: One of the most powerful spells in Rex’s arsenal, Max Caliber was created after Iris introduced Rex to Nanoha Takamachi. Taking a page from Nanoha’s book, Rex invented Max Caliber using the energy collection template used in Starlight Breaker. The collected mana is used to enhance the power of one of Rex’s other spells, most commonly Barret Shell or Blaze Cannon, which is launched immediately following the usage of Max Caliber. Rex rarely uses the collection template to its’ full capacity, for reasons explained below.

ExCaliber: The single most powerful spell in Rex’s arsenal, and Rex’s ace in the hole against large numbers of enemies. ExCaliber is an evolved form of Max Caliber used in conjunction with a Barret Slayer. Unlike Max Caliber, however, ExCaliber uses the whole power of the Starlight Breaker collection template, pushing the attack into the S-rank and taking a high toll on both Rex’s body and Distant Echo as a result.

The attack begins with the signature “converging light beams” effect of the Starlight Breaker. Immediately following the initiation of this technique, Distant Echo’s barrel begins to bulge outwards and split into three separate segments, each of which begins to spin in opposite directions (the first and third spin clockwise, the second spins counterclockwise), while runic symbols begin to appear on the outside of the barrel.

When the attack is launched, the full power of a Starlight Breaker is released in the form of a superpowered Barret Slayer. The power of the shell is so intensely focused that it distorts the atmosphere around it, creating a trail of photoelectric energy that gives it the appearance of a bombardment-type spell. On impact with the target, ExCaliber detonates in a massive explosion of light green spellfire. The hugely enhanced explosive radius of the Barret Slayer pushes this attack's classification out of "shooting" and into "Area of Effect", possessing a kill zone approximately a third the size of a Diabolic Emission.

Named after the holy sword wielded by the Sankt Kaiser, which was known to produce a similar effect, albiet on a much more massive scale. Note that this spell must be used with Distant Echo in its’ Deadeye form.

[AdmiralTigerclaw]

Originally Posted by Tk3997

So the enemies aren't going to be eleventh dimensional demons from hell led by Lucifer himself that can only be defeated by the power of love and cute little girls, and the crack and outside canon content will be fairly low.

.

Wait, he's still alive?!

[stormturmoil]

Originally Posted by AdmiralTigerclaw

Wait, he's still alive?!

Yeah, He's still alive...

He ain't gonna be leading any legions eleventh dimensional demons out of hell any time soon, though....

Hild-Sama took care of That



remember, Hell hath no fury?... with Hild it's the worst of Both worlds...

[Sheba]

Wrong, when the nine circles of Hell are on the loose, when despair has overwhelmed humans' hearts, well when everyone are royally screwed up, you call...

Spoiler for The badass undead-slaughtering demonassbeater:

[Evangelion Xgouki]

*spreads some crack in here, too*

Spoiler for Battle Speech:

BOOM!

Another drone exploded in Fate's wake as she dove to avoid the incoming attacks. She gritted her teeth as she did a quick survey of the battle below her. Smoke billowed out from every direction. Once pristine buildings now laid in ruins with large blast holes through them. Those that took the bulk of the initial attack were piles of rubble scattered across the landscape. Bright lights danced around the city's ruins as Bureau mages engaged into combat with the enemy.

Photon Lancer

"Fire!"

More drones exploded only to have more fly in to replace them. She didn't know how long they had been fighting, but it seemed like the enemies were endless. They were already outnumbered from the start even with the Forwards fighting at their full power. Even Hayate and her Knights were pushing their limits to keep the enemy at bay from advancing any further. And Nanoha... Fate took a deep breath. She had disappeared a few days prior to the siege, probably kidnapped by the enemy. They had searched and searched but there was no sign of the Ace of Aces. After so long, they feared the worse. They didn't want to believe it, but it was there at the back of all their minds.

Sir, enemies approaching from the rear.

The blond whipped around and nearly dropped her Device. There were so many. Even after they had destroyed them one after another they still had this many?! She brought her Device up and prepared to attack as the drones charged their own weapons.

BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM

Explosions ripped across the line of artificial combatants. The shear size of the explosion drew attention of friendly and enemy mages alike. Hovering the closest to the epicenter Fate had to shield her eyes from the blast. Then, she saw something. Something zipped through the falling debris and slammed into another drone. Something pink.

"Nanoha?!"

Through the smoke and glow of exploding power cores, an all too familiar figure hovered into view. Her long Barrier Jacket rippled in the wind with Device held firmly in hand. Then she spoke.

"You tried to bend my will to your own. You tried to kill me using your underhanded methods. But you failed. No matter who you think you are or what you try to do, you cannot take away my beliefs, my will, nor my trust in my friends! With Raising Heart Excelion by my side I will blast a path to victory! Who the hell do you think I am?! I am Nanoha! Taking on all with maximum power and destruction! I am Nanoha the Befriender!!"

All eyes on the battlefield had turned skyward to the white mage. Even the drones seemed to pause their fighting at the speech. Silence covered the crater-riddled area until it was broken...by Fate's facepalm.

*RUNS LIKE HELL*

[ghazghkull]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Wrong, when the nine circles of Hell are on the loose, when despair has overwhelmed humans' hearts, well when everyone are royally screwed up, you call...

Spoiler for The badass undead-slaughtering demonassbeater:

Oh lawd LOL XD

Originally Posted by Evangelion Xgouki

*spreads some crack in here, too*

Spoiler for Battle Speech:

*snip*

*RUNS LIKE HELL*

........................*facepalms*

Oh lawd LOL XD