Sparks Ignited

[a_linear_mind]

[Locked to Elys]

[A few days after a rather disastrous reunion with an old friend, Willis has taken Strahlend out (despite it's damage) and is using it to vent out his frustrations on the poor rusted targets that litter Fort Alhambra. After he finishes destroying everything around him he fixes the targets and then gets ready to destroy them again.]

....what am I doing?

[He collapses back into the seat of his cockpit, pausing the second round of mindless destruction. There was no reason for him to be acting like this. And yet here he was, he wasn't sure if he was more mad at Elys or himself but the entire situation between them just frustrated him to no end.]

Comments

[a_centered_mind]

[Likewise, a smile crosses Elys' lips. She knew there'd be trouble later on. But right now none of that mattered.]

I've never been in a fight like this in a while...

[This time, Amagahara uses only one hand to wield its sword, meeting Strahlend's charge. More sparks erupt as the blades make contact.]

Although I wouldn't say there was any time when there were no tricks at all.

[a_linear_mind]

Ah, that's true, you were always coming up with some pretty unfair shenanigans whenever you had simulator time...

[Despite how the sparring session had gone so far, Willis knew that dealing with Elys in pure melee combat would be the hardest part.

As the sparks continued to erupt from the blades' back and forth clash, Strahlend would suddenly weaken and pull back Quicksilver, allowing Amagahara to overpower it for a second. Once this happened Strahlend took another step forward. This was the most important step in this fight. Willis knew Elys' preference for longer blades, and this would be the only way he could take advantage of this knowledge. With the last bit of distance closed and his sword arm pulled back, Willis took aim at the chest of the machine and then thrust Quicksilver towards it.]

Feel free to surrender at any time, Elys!

[a_centered_mind]

I don't think so.

You're not the only one who can do this.

[This time, Willis wasn't the only one moving forward. In slow motion, Amagahara too takes a surprising step forth! The longer blade helps it here as it puts itself at risk of getting hit by Willis' attack, in order to deal the finishing blow!]

[a_linear_mind]

[And in a single second the fight between the old friends was settled. Quicksilver tore into Amagahara as it's limbs gave out at last.]

...ha...looks like I lose...

[Unfortunately for Willis, the last second step forward from the both of them meant that his thrust only pierced through the shoulder of Amagahara, on the other end her long nodachi was now positioned in front of his cockpit. It was clear who the winner was here.

In the midst of all the destruction both nanomachine swarms were receiving the same order from their Cores and spread out through the area to begin repairs after all the destruction they had caused. Strahlend was now leaned up against it's sister machine for support. Unable to stand on it's own. After they had spent all that time trying to destroy each other, both machines were now working together to fix everything around them. Including each other.

Willis himself exits his machine in defeat.]

What a mess...

[a_centered_mind]

...

[Elys isn't heard from again, until she suddenly disembarks her unit as well.

She quietly makes her way next to where Willis is, and sits down on some upturned rock.]

...I'll explain first.

[a_linear_mind]

I'm pretty sure I was the one that admitted defeat back there.

1/2

[a_centered_mind]

You also held back.

[And given how much admitting loss stung, this isn't a small thing.]

Now, just stay quiet and listen.

2/2

[a_centered_mind]

[She takes a deep breath before proceeding.]

I left the academy...because my sister was trying to take over Ono-Sendai by force.

I'm not talking about business tactics either. She isn't a regular person, like us.

If she had succeeded...many things would have gone horribly wrong. So I stepped in to stop her. Long story short? We fought, I came out on top.

It sounds ridiculous. But that's what happened.

[a_linear_mind]

Then by force, you mean that she was actively trying to get rid of you and anyone who could have got in the way of her inheriting Ono-Sendai.

You know, I probably wouldn't have believed you if you had told me this back then.

[And considering how young they were when this happened...this did not paint a flattering image of the other Frimaire sibling. It was only with the experiences he has gone through that he can imagine a situation where the fate of a company was dependent on Elys defeating her sister in a fight.]

...I missed you though. Probably more than I wanted to admit. After I graduated from the academy, I was pretty different when I was working for ESUN. I didn't trust anyone, and tried to keep to myself and just focused on my own abilities. Probably because I was afraid of potentially losing someone I cared about again.

[a_centered_mind]

That's the gist of it. It just sounds like someone's crazed fantasy when I talk about it now.

I guess after that it wasn't as...lively...without you and the others from the academy around. I had to concentrate on running the business and the business alone.

[a_linear_mind]

Heh...with the world we live in I think something like that happening seems completely normal.

...you know I really wasn't holding back during all of that. You're still as much of a monster as you always were.

[a_centered_mind]

I don't believe you.

[Pause.]

...Even if you weren't, you used to be so much better. What happened?

[a_linear_mind]

I'm being completely honest.

[The fact that he wasn't using THAT face was proof of that.]

...I really don't know, it's been so long that I haven't really noticed the difference.

[a_centered_mind]

You used to take everyone out in one move. Almost.

...I guess there's no point looking at that now. But you'll need some of that back if you're going to keep up this thing against Aegis.

[a_linear_mind]

Things were different back then, I had different priorities.

And it's not like I'm intentionally trying to pick a fight with them...

[He grows quiet again]

...what do you know about what happened in Antarctica that day?

[a_centered_mind]

Not much. Silvius has it under wraps...

Something happened there that caused the deaths of the personnel. The Chimaera are the result...

[a_linear_mind]

I guess I shouldn't be too surprised...

[Despite his own anger towards how Silvius and Aegis handled the situation he knew that the decision to not give details even to the CEO of one of his partner companies was to protect her and Ono-Sendai.]

We were testing the prototype of the V2 System on that day and then...something...went wrong. I don't even know what happened to cause it but the worst case situation happened. The machine equipped with the V2 system went berserk and began to absorb things around them, absorbing humans and turning them Chimaera by partially assimilating them...and then everything around them. So I...well you know what Aegis said I did. After everything was over the Aegis forces that arrived blamed me for what happened and tried to kill me. I didn't have a defense...so I just ran. Then I learned that Silvius wanted to act like nothing happened there at all...

[His fist clenches.]

I really believed in the things he preached. In the end he turned out to be no better than the people he wanted to escape from...and all of that the Chimaera are still around and I'm in a situation where most of my friends either want to kill me, or aren't part of my life anymore...

[a_centered_mind]

...To think that I didn't even hear a word of this...

[This is all quite difficult to take in. However, it explains what's been happening since that incident...]

So this is why he's been adamant on sticking with the V1 system as of late...

[a_linear_mind]

You know how he is...lead through actions not through words. For better or worse...

It seems like you're finally moving beyond the V1 system now though...just...be careful.

I don't want to lose you again...