Entry tags:
this is the worst date ever
[ somehow, it all went to shit.
in shirou's defense, the entire situation has absolutely nothing to do with him. wars are on a scale too large for a soldier like him to manipulate at will, and even he's not arrogant to believe that his actions have a tipping effect on the grand scale of things. war is made by people up top, moving their pawns around in a mahjong shuffle, and he just happens to be one of the pawns. no, if anything screwed up in the grand scheme of things, he's taking no personal blame for it, thank you very much.
that being said, that doesn't make being stuck with seven trion soldiers in a single city block any more pleasant. shirou considers himself to be some sort of a big-shot (he knows he's good, okay), but seven in a place where civilians haven't fully evacuated is really just too much for a single guy to handle.
(it was that damned new-type. it slammed into the three of them like a bolt out of the blue, and as if the fact that it could fly wasn't insulting enough, it grappled utagawa and slammed into kazama, leaving shirou with this mess and no way of getting back to his team in time to help. he hates that new-type. he hates everything.)
but he has to handle it. failure isn't a word that comes easily to kazama squad, and anyway, it's kazama's orders. secure civilians and then move to help the B-ranks near the city edge; regroup when the situation is right. as of right now, the situation is not yet right; and it's shirou's job, unfortunately, to make it right. he twirls his scorpion as he surveys the scene-- three humanoids, a marmod, one that resembles a large jumping spider, an ilgar in the distance-- and the one he's gonna get rid of first, the bander that's making a mess. his tsk is that of annoyance as he twirls his scorpion, tuning out the terrified screaming of civilians, when--
a spray of bullets connect with the side of the large trion soldier, causing it to balk and screech and shirou to duck with wide eyes. the ensuing metal against metal is akin to dragging sandpaper through his ears and he cringes, even as he dashes forward again under the bullet spray without hesitation, springing up weightlessly to slash right through the trion soldier's core. ]
... Oi. [ ... crap, what was his name again? he can recognize his footsteps even among the carnage of noises vying to distract him from his goal, that half-skip that more resembles someone frolicking in a field of flowers than a soldier on the battlefield. shirou lands in a crouch, and makes a face as his blond hair comes into view. right. that guy. ]
Inukai... -san, [ he tacks on after a moment of reluctance, even as his eyes dart to the right. one of the humanoid's looking this way, and it just plain creeps him out, the way that one, sole, core resembles an eye. carefully, he taps into his com, motioning for inukai to do the same, and heaves a heavy, heavy sigh. ] tell me honestly, do you really have a reason to kill me that badly? [ an annoyed beat. ] It's been three weeks since I insulted your captain; go tell him he should get over it already.
in shirou's defense, the entire situation has absolutely nothing to do with him. wars are on a scale too large for a soldier like him to manipulate at will, and even he's not arrogant to believe that his actions have a tipping effect on the grand scale of things. war is made by people up top, moving their pawns around in a mahjong shuffle, and he just happens to be one of the pawns. no, if anything screwed up in the grand scheme of things, he's taking no personal blame for it, thank you very much.
that being said, that doesn't make being stuck with seven trion soldiers in a single city block any more pleasant. shirou considers himself to be some sort of a big-shot (he knows he's good, okay), but seven in a place where civilians haven't fully evacuated is really just too much for a single guy to handle.
(it was that damned new-type. it slammed into the three of them like a bolt out of the blue, and as if the fact that it could fly wasn't insulting enough, it grappled utagawa and slammed into kazama, leaving shirou with this mess and no way of getting back to his team in time to help. he hates that new-type. he hates everything.)
but he has to handle it. failure isn't a word that comes easily to kazama squad, and anyway, it's kazama's orders. secure civilians and then move to help the B-ranks near the city edge; regroup when the situation is right. as of right now, the situation is not yet right; and it's shirou's job, unfortunately, to make it right. he twirls his scorpion as he surveys the scene-- three humanoids, a marmod, one that resembles a large jumping spider, an ilgar in the distance-- and the one he's gonna get rid of first, the bander that's making a mess. his tsk is that of annoyance as he twirls his scorpion, tuning out the terrified screaming of civilians, when--
a spray of bullets connect with the side of the large trion soldier, causing it to balk and screech and shirou to duck with wide eyes. the ensuing metal against metal is akin to dragging sandpaper through his ears and he cringes, even as he dashes forward again under the bullet spray without hesitation, springing up weightlessly to slash right through the trion soldier's core. ]
... Oi. [ ... crap, what was his name again? he can recognize his footsteps even among the carnage of noises vying to distract him from his goal, that half-skip that more resembles someone frolicking in a field of flowers than a soldier on the battlefield. shirou lands in a crouch, and makes a face as his blond hair comes into view. right. that guy. ]
Inukai... -san, [ he tacks on after a moment of reluctance, even as his eyes dart to the right. one of the humanoid's looking this way, and it just plain creeps him out, the way that one, sole, core resembles an eye. carefully, he taps into his com, motioning for inukai to do the same, and heaves a heavy, heavy sigh. ] tell me honestly, do you really have a reason to kill me that badly? [ an annoyed beat. ] It's been three weeks since I insulted your captain; go tell him he should get over it already.

_へ__(‾◡◝ )>
well, his captain's known for holding onto things. sumiharu grins wryly. ]
That's up to Ninomiya-san, Kikuchihara-kun. Anyway, we should clear this area first.
[ a quick scan of the immediate surroundings reveals that they're alone as far as border agents go. it's not ideal, but the way things have played out after ninomiya had sent sumiharu, who had been closest to kikuchihara, to aid in the civilian evacuation. kikuchihara is by no stretch a substitute for tsuji, but the kid's a skilled attacker with a handy side effect, so this should be doable. ]
Looks like it's just the two of us. Let's position ourselves and attack.
[ the question is, which neighbor first? the three humanoids might team up if left to their own devices for too long, but the marmod's a speedy foe with which to reckon. then there's the arachnid neighbor and the ilgar in the distance, the latter of which could prove problematic if it gets close. for the time being, sumiharu decides to let kikuchihara take the initial position to rule out friendly fire. ]
눈_눈
the point is, inukai is a gunner. just by being a gunner, shirou's blocked from using chameleon, and there goes half of his advantage, thank you very much. the motion he makes as he ties up his hair can be construed as annoyance by anyone who didn't know him well enough, but for anyone who's actually fought with him, it's merely a sign of pragmatism. there's a gunner at his back now, so positioning has become more vital than before -- inukai's heartbeat will become his marker; friendly fire is more dangerous to an attacker than the enemies themselves.
the crackle of somewhat deadpan amusement from the other end elicits a small snort from him as he flicks his second scorpion out smoothly. ]
Whatever, let's get this over with. [ a quick glance shows that inukai's hanging back, a clear indication that shirou's expected to take point. it takes but a split second for him to vault into a dash, which morphs into a skid as he whizzes underneath the marmod, taking out its legs without stopping. the trion soldier collapses under its own weight in confusion as shirou rolls out from under it. when in doubt, always go for the fastest one first, and work your way down the list. ] Cover fire.
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
and there goes kikuchihara. ]
Roger.
[ the marmod is a wise choice, especially when the other neighbors are far enough that, with due haste, reinforcements in the immediate battle won't be an issue. it's not a concern, because kikuchihara is as quick and efficient as lightning – as expected from a member of kazama squad. while the former takes point, sumiharu unleashes a barrage of bullets to distract the disabled marmod, leaving it open for the final blow to the eye, just in time for the attention of the neighbors being drawn to the noise of combat. ]
Nice!
ヾ( ・`⌓´・)ノ゙
like right now. the cover fire comes swiftly, at an angle which shirou easily side-steps to bring down his scorpion for the finishing blow. maybe he didn't even have to indicate his need for cover fire-- no, their teamwork is patchy at best, tentative at worst, and shirou would rather waste his breath a few times rather than cause miscommunication.
therefore, he communicates his thoughts clearly: ] Uwah, and I thought not being on the expedition force would have made you rusty. You still know how to shoot -- I'm in awe, Inukai-san.
[ he'd clap if he didn't have two light sabers in hand and if the sound of battle hadn't attracted the humanoids. one prepares to vault right into the fray. shirou tenses, listening for the telltale sounds of debris being crunched underfoot, and times his dodge. ]
ヾ(´▽`)ゝ
Our squad may not be a part of the expedition force anymore, but there's plenty to keep us busy. Like the rank battles – you've seen the broadcasts, right? The battles this season were interesting.
[ sometimes it gets monotonous to battle kageura squad – and inevitably be the target of its captain – for the umpteenth time. nonetheless, all the rank battles are valuable experience and just plain fun when things work out. it's only too bad that he got taken out so early during the four-way.
not that this isn't enjoyable in its own way. sumiharu dashes to the nearest building when the humanoid enters kikuchihara's range, navigating his way to the other side. with an explosive burst of bullets, he turns the heads of the neighbors about to join the lone humanoid. now on the opposite side, he draws the small group away from kikuchihara. ]
You take that one. I'll distract the rest until you're clear. [ sumiharu figures it's better to outnumber himself for a moment over splitting kikuchihara's attention between multiple neighbors. he's not the balance for nothing, and he knows the latter will work fast. ] Then all you have to do is turn around.
┗(•̀へ •́ ╮ )
but at the same time, shirou can't help but calculate if this is the best course of action. inukai is a gunner, and gunners, by virtue of what they do, require distance between them and their targets, and a single gunner can be easily overwhelmed by nimble enemies. of course, inukai's the one who volunteered, he reminds himself, as he dodges yet another swipe with ease, carefully documenting the movements of the humanoid as he does so -- inukai volunteered, and therefore, it'd be very easy to simply let him do as he wants and assume that he'll still be in one piece later. but.
but leaving inukai to his own devices isn't teamwork. inukai, despite all his complaining, is a master-class gunman. by shirou's estimate, he'll be able to hold off the two humanoids for thirty seconds before the gunfire draws reinforcements. shirou aims to get this done in ten. he weaves between slashes, but takes special care to keep inukai in his line of sight (and within hearing range) as he does so -- four, five, it'll take him a second at most in order to close the gap between them and help if need be. nobody fights alone on the battlefield, and certainly not when shirou can help it. ]
Oh, you mean the fight where you guys sat around for the last ten minute being intimidated by Azuma-san and doing absolutely nothing? Or maybe the fight where you got taken out by Kageura-san, again? [ but working with inukai doesn't necessarily mean that he has to play nice. the bored drawl comes even as he studies the speed and pattern of the humanoid's movements. the little, breathy and entirely unimpressed huff is probably expected, at this point. ] It wasn't worth watching. At all.
[ but he totally watched it, and his words imply so, and if asked, he'd admit it readily since he really isn't the sort to lie. after all, kazama had been interested in mikumo's growth, he had to admit that he was interested in just what kazama found so fascinating about that four-eyes. so far, he hasn't found any sign of what he should be in awe about -- but even he had to admit that there was something cathartic about watching four-eyes try and fail and try again. kind of like watching what he himself could have never done. ]
( ◞・౪・)
But you did watch it. Didn't the snow look fun?
[ he bets kikuchihara had no shortage of criticisms regarding that battle. as for himself, the snow was an entertaining change, so he doesn't have bad memories.
thankfully, the area they're in is narrow enough that sumiharu has no chance of being surrounded, barring sudden reinforcements. earlier he was at a disadvantage due to positioning, but with this formation he won't catch kikuchihara in the crossfire. he's still got plenty of distance between himself and the neighbors advancing toward him, and he can tell from kikuchihara's garrulousness that nothing's gone horribly wrong for now. ]
How's your side looking?
(・`ェ´・)つ
Dead. [ is his extremely thoughtful answer. the humanoid hasn't even hit the ground before shirou's pelting down in inukai's direction, all but punching his scorpion through the head of the next humanoid before either one notices his lithe form sailing through the air. he can hear the internal gears of the remaining humanoid spinning as it hurriedly puts distance between itself and the two combatants-- but by then, shirou thinks, it's far too late.
still, overconfidence breeds errors. by the book, he leaps away from inukai, putting the required space between them so that both of them can move freely, even as he makes a sour face. ]
And no, it looked like a mess. You looked like a mess. Are you trying to get me to criticize you on purpose?
(〜^ڡ^)〜
You'd criticize me regardless of whether or not I try. So? Have any tips for me?
[ while they're on the topic, he figures he should milk kikuchihara's judgment the best way he can. ]
Щ(◣д◢)Щ
None. [ he says this flatly, feinting at the humanoid and then vaulting over it acrobatically, head over heels, when it struggles to defend itself against inukai's bullets. being upside-down for the duration of this sentence doesn't make him sound any less unimpressed: ] You seem to think that I have critically judgmental things to say that your captain hasn't said already.
[ getting a kick out of insulting ninomiya aside, shirou would have to be a fool to not have realized that ninomiya squad, as deeply flawed as they are, were aware of said flaws. or haven't been flayed alive by ninomiya for said flaws. ] Besides, you won't change even if I said anything.
ヽ/o ل͜ o\ノ
with the humanoid neighbor struggling under their mutual fire, sumiharu continues the rhythmic blast of his assault weapon. he's got none of kikuchihara's fancy moves, but his role is cover, not entertaining offense. ]
That's not true. I wouldn't discard anything you say that's worthwhile.
[ if it is, that is. ha ha ha. ]
ヽ(#゚Д゚)ノ┌┛
You don't think anything anyone says is worthwhile.
[ his blunt assessment of the situation, along with the hidden message that he doesn't particularly care if inukai picks up on or not -- but he'd have severely overestimated inukai if he didn't: inukai doesn't even consider anything he himself says to be worthwhile. the humanoid's joints creak as it attempts to duck the barrage of bullets. shirou shifts smoothly with his scorpion in hand to bring his blade down.
a head flies. he rolls out of the way of the ensuring trion-induced smokescreen. something in the air clicks, high above him, and without even glancing up, he falls into a dead run. ] Your left.
[ ilgar bombardment ahoy, run like hell, inukai. ]
◟(˶╹̆ꇴ╹̆˵)◜
Roger –
[ in his trion body, he's swift on his feet (and because he's in his trion body, he hardly feels the bombardment behind him, knowing that he'd narrowly dodged the very first batch). he knows kikuchihara is, too, but they ran off in opposite directions.
perhaps location won't be an issue, given that the ilgar is airborne. it's better to communicate, though, so sumiharu takes to the com: ]
Should we regroup?
(ノಠ ∩ಠ)ノ
It's an ilgar. [ it's a friggin whale nuke, why would you want to make it easier for it to take them out, ] Why would we-- [ just then, something beneath shirou's feet tremors.
... really.
for one long second, shirou considers just leaving inukai to his fate and go off on his merry way. one sacrifice for the greater good and all, and technically they're so far apart that shirou has no responsibility to do anything about it. but that one long second passes in a blink of an eye, time that's quickly erased by the looming sense of TEAMWORK that shirou can't just turn away from. shirou skids to a stop and changes direction without hesitation, vaulting over debris in a lesser version of hardcore parkour. his request to kaho for topographical information via internal coms is quicker and far more terse than his annoyed internal whining of why do i have to save inukai's sorry ass.
when he speaks again, it's urgent, low and with a brittle note that suggests more than just a few half-assed complaints if inukai doesn't consider it worthwhile: ] Changed my mind. Inukai-san, if you want to live, do exactly as I tell you.
[ how long does inukai have? the tremors beneath his feet are quick, but hampered by the natural rockiness of the terrain. he clicks his teeth in annoyance as he calculates. ] In three seconds, jump.
[ because that's when a jumping spider's sub-terrain trion tentacle is going to try and fuck him up okay. ]
҉*\( ‘ω’ )/*҉
Wow! I didn't see that coming. Good hearing, Kikuchihara-kun.
[ landing where it's safe after the initial surprise attack, sumiharu also taps into his com for hiyami regarding the new neighbor in the vicinity. while that request processes, he routes his next message to kikuchihara, who has been crowned de facto leader as of ten seconds ago. ]
What now? The ilgar's getting close, but our new company's pretty annoying.
ヽ( ̄д ̄;)ノ
Jump again, four seconds. Please tell me you still have Hound.
[ shirou knows that back when ninomiya squad was a part of the expedition force, inukai most definitely had hound. but it's been a while, and that last battle where inukai used absolutely nothing but asteroid honestly didn't help. ]
ヽ༼>ل͜<༽ノ
and it's not his fault he'd forgotten scorpion during the four-way (yes, it is). leave it to kikuchihara to bring up the very subject he hadn't cared to talk about earlier when the timing is convenient for him. ]
Of course I do. [ then it's the fourth count, and he jumps to avoid another strike of the tentacle. ] Tell me where to direct the shot and I'll hit it.
(」゜ロ゜)」
just as the coordinates are sent over, shirou finally enters visual range of inukai. click click click click click, the ilgar above happily shakes off a few bombs -- and it's the coordinates of those very bombs that shirou needs inukai to hit with hound. you know. like, right now. before they get bombed to death kthx. ]
ヾ( ̄◇ ̄)ノ
No problem at all.
[ the ilgar's high enough in the air that he's got some leeway, anyway. this would have been a walk in the park for the likes of ninomiya and izumi. in any case, sumiharu fires the hound attached to his assault rifle, and his aim is true (the abundance of bullets is a definite plus in this situation) – the bombs burst midair, at an altitude safe for the civilians making their slow escape. ]
There. Threat averted. And the other one?
[ no incoming tentacles that want to make out with their legs? ]
ヾ( ・`⌓´・)ノ゙
thank you for not being a shitty gunner, inukai, even if your personality begs to differ. now that he's within visual range, his side effect can better pinpoint the directionality and speed of the tentacles below ground. shirou rolls his eyes. ]
It's only a threat for you. Three seconds, jump to the left. [ his scorpion twirls at the ready, his steps light as he hops onto a piece of concrete, blasted from the foundation of a former apartment building. ] Also stop putting me in charge. All this responsibility is going to make my skin wrinkle.
i no longer have the attention span for an emoji tab YOU WIN FOR NOW
You're the one who said that I should listen to you if I want to live. I haven't had problems so far.
[ but it's true that kikuchihara's side effect is mostly effective for evasion. that's not going to get them anywhere in the long run. it's a support skill, not an offensive one, though that's not accounting for kikuchihara's gift for tactics. so, no, sumiharu isn't particularly compelled to take over. ]
Let's do something about this Trion soldier.
WEENERRRRR
Anyway, it's slowing down. Keep in mind that the only reason why I haven't gone chameleon and destroyed it is because I need to keep you from becoming a waste of Trion. Do something about your survivability, and I'll do something about that new-type.
[ it might sound as rude as fuck, but it's an accurate assessment of the situation -- also a nudge for inukai to take the command already, you 18-year-old. kidou's going to look severely at him again for breaking the chain of command. again. ]
yes
Is there a way to lure it out of hiding? If I play the decoy . . .
[ sumiharu directs his attention to the ground, but he can't begin to discern where the next attack might come from. as far as this new-type is concerned, kikuchihara has the far higher advantage in taking it down (and he may well be capable of doing it alone, but there's safety and greater efficiency in numbers, per border's way of things). the ilgar is circling, so they've got a bit of time to take care of the other trion soldier before it comes back to drop more bombs. ]
no subject
ugh, no. he has an idea, but it's so much effort. shirou makes a sour face. ]
If you Full Guard, how many ilgar bombardments can you withstand?
no subject
It depends how much Trion I'll need afterward, but I should be able to take a few.
no subject
I'll contribute. [ to the Full Guard. his eyes dart to inukai for a moment, before he looks away, ostensibly in order to check on their surroundings, but in actuality he just doesn't like meeting anyone's eyes. ] We can use the ilgar to bomb the new-type out of hiding.
[ essentially have someone be a sitting duck bait for the ilgar. let the ilgar bomb the shit out of them -- and in doing so, bomb the trion soldier out from underground beneath them. ] ... the new-type is probably as sensitive to sound and vibrations as I am. [ if not more so, otherwise it wouldn't be able to target them so well above-ground. therefore: ] Ideally, it'll be smart enough to come above ground before the shockwaves from the bombs affect its sensory systems, but even if it doesn't, the blasts from the bombs should be able to cave the ground in and damage it anyway.
[ what doesn't need to be said: when it comes above ground, it's as good as dead. ]