“Kshaa!”

Herculean bodies collided, sending shockwaves through the c***. The Arbiter held firm, flipping the creature over with its mighty arms, weight shifting to send the creature writhing onto the snow. But Hornitor was quick. Before anyone could capitalize on the lizard’s downed state it had wriggled to its feet, and Raza had barely braced for the counterattack before it lunged. With practiced precision the monk spun the trio of gear shifts that controlled The Arbiter’s left arm, aligning its shield vertically with the gaping maw that reared toward it. The machine’s legs folded, buttresses against the coming impact. Raza was intent on plunging the left chakram down the animal’s throat. If he were successful, a swift right uppercut to the jaw would follow, along with a spray of bullets from the Qarar rifles inside.

Mikan had perhaps held the fire of her cannons, but her criticism of Everard’s non-communication hit its mark. It should have been obvious, that his squadmates couldn’t anticipate his actions if he didn’t call them out, but here he was letting his negligence place everyone in danger; both the pilots and the city they were protecting. Mikan had also apparently seen fit to pass over Everard’s own remarks, content to focus on the mission at hand rather than dwell on ideology, so he’d defer to her experience and do the same: the priority was keeping everyone safe, at least for the moment. If his team was on board with subduing the beast, they could discuss its fate afterwards.

“Apologies. Where I’m from, calling out attacks is a surefire way to let your opponent anticipate them, but I’ll know better now.”

Unfortunately, the battlefield wasn’t a patient place for self-reflection, so proper apologies would have to wait. From his perch, the young scientist kept his eyes trained on the reprimand-earning salvo, intent on at least getting his worth out of it by studying the moment of impact. The missiles did find purchase, thankfully, though a miscalculation of the creature’s impressive speed had left them colliding with its head rather than the intended flank. Still, it was useful data; the combined thrust of a Thesis barrage was apparently enough to jerk the creature’s head a considerable distance, and the induced motion meant that the Kaiju’s center of mass was further into the body than the neck. That sort of distribution indicated that its vital organs were probably further in too, away from where Arbiter was presently engaged, and thus also a relatively safe place to attack. He gave his glasses a push. Excellent.

The others had distracted Hornitor successfully up to this point and seemed to be keeping it occupied, so it was time to strike.
“Affirmative, Alexandria. Preparing to throw javelin, attempting to restrain it.”

Plucking Slander out of its concrete sheath, Everard instructed his mecha’s legs to unhook their hydraulic claws and took a step out into the void. As gravity began pulling the machine into a head-first tumble, he extended Rhet’s throwing arm, using the angular momentum of the fall to turn the limb into a three-story-high lever and send the spear rocketing forward on a parabolic trajectory destined for Hornitor’s midsection. Moments later, the mechanical frame folded into a three-point-landing, frontal cameras trained on the projectile’s target. With luck, the high throw would impart the spear with enough energy to impale the beast and pin it to the ground, but if it looked like he’d miss, he could at least use the winch to hinder the projectile’s reach and stop it short of hitting any of the frontline mecha.

Safiya grimaced as each of the hits struck the Hornitor in succession. Yes, the creature was threatening the lives of many who lived in the city, but she hoped that it would not have to suffer for too long before it was dealt with. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the majestic beast. Still, she had a duty to fulfill, and fulfill it, she would. Had Raza and his mecha not been in direct contact with the creature, she would have attempted to shock it, but it was much too risky as the mecha and the creature writhed about.

The youth – who seemed quite adamant on killing the creature – had leapt into the air to throw a javelin at the beast. She had to admit, the man was quite nimble with his mecha. She recalled what he had mentioned when they first met; he definitely wasn’t joking about darting from place to place.

“Affirmative. Solar Plexus ready on support,” she stated as she switched her sol slinger to operational mode. The rhythmic mechanical “thunk” indicated that the ammo had been shifted from the flares. She raised her weapon ready, as the targeting rings on her screen looked for a safe opening to fire.

As far as the rhythm of combat went, the whole squad seemed to be adapting to it rather quickly. It made Mikan both glad and sad at the same time, as some of the members of the squad were probably still ready to kill the Kaiju, and they were already getting dangerously close enough to being able to do it if they wanted to. Still the priority was stopping Hornitor so she would do what she needed moment to moment for now.

"No apologies needed if you've learned," there was a gap in her thought as she tried to remember a name not given, but the voice wouldn't have the same, "rookie."

With Raza already attempting to restrain Hornitor from the front and with the news the two mecha with grapples were attempting to fire those from one flank Mikan made her move knowing Safiya was going to stand-by. She drew her swords as she drew close to the scuffle, she only needed to help immobilize the large lizard so she aimed a glowing hot blade at it's back leg to hobble it and left the second blade unfired to use defensively if needed.

As Everard unhinged from the wall rubble could be heard clattering down the steep slopes. From the wall Vibrant Rhetoric launched Slander. As the mech landed with a earth quaking crash, the pilot looked up. Hornitor was further away than anticipated. The spear landed a short distance away and latched into the ground. Although he had missed his target the ground looked sturdy enough to pull himself to it.

Hornitor thrashed about snapping at anything in its path. Then it connected. The Arbiter's shield fell nicely into the Kaiju’s mouth. Then came the bite. Raza’s screen lit up with multiple alerts as minor damage was inflicted then he saw it. Somehow Hornitor had managed to damage the hidden guns. Arbiter uppercut the beast off of the shield. Raza could see the bent barrels in the puncture marks Hornitor had made. The Kaiju prepared to lunge again.

This was the chance Mikan took. With speed and precision she slashed at one of Hornitor’s back legs. The slice was clean and managed to hit a weak spot between the armor of its leg. Hornitor let out a quick roar of pain as he took notice of the white machine. There was a resounding thud as Hornitor quickly smacked Rankaku’s side with his large armored tail. A couple alerts showed themselves to Mikan indicating minor dents and damage to the mech’s side. Hornitor swung again this time Mikan was ready and quickly deflected the blow.

In the meantime, Lexi waited for a good moment to tether it. With the Kaiju focused on the melee combat between the mech in front of it and to the opposing side of it, Lexi’s tether managed to hit and attach itself to the largest plate on Hornitor’s back. It seemed to go unnoticed by the creature.

As the scene unfolded before her, Safiya took some shots at Hornitor when she could but as more mechs got within melee range openings became increasingly rare. The damage from the shots seemed to be mostly absorbed by the Kaiju’s armor. She would have to adjust her position to get a better and safer aim on the beast.

Confound this blasted nimble monster. First it had avoided the brunt of the Thesis barrage’s strategic applications by quickly maneuvering its head to intercept the missiles, then it had avoided Rhetoric’s main weapon by moving out of the way entirely. Mecha opponents in the Combat League tended to be either fast or well-armored, but Hornitor appeared to possess an abundance of both. It was something else, fighting a Kaiju in earnest.

Still, Everard had bested a handful of unusually tricky foes in his short time as a mecha pilot, and was no stranger to adapting his strategy if the initial attack proved unsuccessful. It seemed that even the more experienced pilots among the team were having trouble dealing with the beast’s speed, so at least he wasn’t alone in that regard. If the simple tactics worthy of the a kaiju’s cancerous existence didn’t work, Everard would - as much as he hated admitting it to himself - treat it as a the difficult adversary it was proving to be.

“Ranged attack failed, but I’ve been able to observe its behavior from the walltop. Moving in to mid-range.”

One hydraulic leap later, the Vibrant navy mecha was bursting forward through the air, its titanium winch pulling it to the javelin that had fallen short. The machine covered about half of the distance to the weapon this way, then extended its posture, firmly sunk its claws into the ground, and released Slander’s hold. A quick tug of the chain called the harpoon to Everard’s grip, securing it in Rhet’s giant hands. Once in a sturdy position, he called to his teammates.

“This thing likes to charge, correct? My mecha is designed to be immovable when it needs to be; if the rest of you can direct it this way and get it to charge me, I think we can finally slow it down enough that Alexandria should be able to use her tranquilizer.”

As a matador standing in wait with a crimson flag, Everard pointed Slander towards the monster, a pikeman bracing to intercept a cavalry charge.

As the sensors lit up some superficial damage had been done to her Rankaku, Mikan silently gasped. Not that her mech had been hit, something like this wouldn't even make the top ten of dents, let alone damage, but more how quick it's tail had struck her. She wasn't inclined to let it have a free pass again and deflected the second blow. That's when the the young pilot came over comms with his plan. It was a pleasing change that he suddenly wanted to tranq Hornitor instead of his goal before. Mikan couldn't fully trust it but it was the best shot she had at a nonlethal takedown.

"Roger," her own comms replied though it took a pause, "Whatever your name is blonde guy."

"Raza, if you can find a chance to cleanly disengage I think I can lead Hornitor into this trap." She let its flurry of tail whips serve as its own evidence she'd drawn its ire, now using both swords defensively to stay close but relatively safe. She'd need Raza to get clear before she'd actually try anything though.

((Edited following GM communication with regards to the exact nature of the encounter between Hornitor's mouth and the Arbiter's shield, and the damage sustained therein.))

With a resounding crash, Hornitor’s mighty jaw enveloped the Arbiter’s left shield. Raza stood genuinely surprised for a moment, as the lizard was both quicker and more intelligent than even the experienced mecha pilot had anticipated. Mere fractions of a second prior to impact it had managed to turn its head to the size, avoiding the massive lacerations it would have suffered to its interior tissue from Almawt’s razor edges. Not only that, but as the cadence of warning lights and sirens flashing throughout the mecha’s c*** informed its pilot, the left shield had sustained an enormous dent from the impact, so severe that it had rendered the left-hand Qarar rifles inoperable. This was unfathomable. For the beast to possess such strength made Hornitor a far greater threat than what it appeared to be at first analysis.

Raza issued a warning to the others: “Be on guard! This creature’s maw is a greater weapon than it appears. Should it catch you, you will break.”

Thankfully, most of the crew were keeping their distance. A plan was in motion, devised by the young upstart and the pilot of the support mecha that had joined Raza in engaging Hornitor. The idea was brash, but not utterly foolhardy. Provided Hornitor failed to kill Vibrant Rhetoric’s pilot with its first attack, the opening would allow the rest of the crew to incapacitate it. Worth a shot.

“Attempting to disengage,” he relayed over the comms.

With a swift blow to Hornitor’s jaw, Raza managed to free himself from direct entanglement. Acting quickly, he raised Haya and Almawt to shield his retreat, all the while firing the pair of Alkhulud arms from their rear-facing hip openings. As each one found purchase in the frozen ground below it burrowed, eventually growing taut. The Arbiter crouched for a moment, then, with a roar from the Tuhma engines, leapt back. The enormous machine soared, guided by the rapid contraction of the arms that pulled it back. Hydraulic systems absorbing the brunt of its landing, the machine turned to follow Hornitor’s path, ready to rush it from behind should the bait catch.

“Do what you must.”

Hornitor gave a gutteral screech as Mikan sliced into its leg, followed quickly by a punch to the jaw from Raza. Despite the considerable beating it had taken, the creature was still as ferocious as when they had first seen it. One would hardly think it had taken any damage at all. As if to demonstrate this, it quickly lurched forward to reengage with the Sarajul, but before it could get far, there was a severe whirring sound followed by a sharp snap behind it. Suddenly, the beast found its forward progress halted. Lexi stood in her mech, leaning back and grasping the end of the cable that she had attached to Hornitor's carapace and had now drawn taut. As all of the other pilots shuffled their positions and called out their plans, it was all the ecologist could do to hold her ground, though she was pleasantly surprised to hear that the young Obernian seemingly wanted to subdue Hornitor nonfatally all of a sudden.

"Uh... a-affirmative." She said to every one and no one in particular. "I'll try to hold it back until everybody's in place."

The kaiju didn't even afford the woman a backward glance, instead merely redoubling its efforts to press onward. FG-RSLE was jerked forward, caught off balance by the sudden surge of force it was trying to hold back. It stumbled a bit before Lexi managed to right it, digging her mech's nonexistent heels into the soil to gain every bit of traction possible. Even still, she found herself being dragged through the snowy ground like a plow pulled by a particularly ornery ox with no concept of appropriate farming weather. The pilot fiddled with the controls in an effort to find some way to slow Hornitor further, lest it be drawn in the wrong direction. Seeing no other recourse, she eyed one particular set of dials and switches and swallowed nervously. She had been hoping she wouldn't need to resort to this.

Hornitor's course was still several degrees off from what it needed to be for the Obernian pilot's plan to work. It heaved forward, gaining momentum with each monstrous step as its strength overcame that of the mech trying to hold it still, even with the sizable gash in its leg. Just a little further... A loud roar and a faint heat emanated from behind the kaiju, and immediately the creature's forward movement was stopped short yet again. On the contrary, it was now gaining altitude as the force of the mech behind it hoisted it onto its hind legs. The jets attached to FG-RSLE's shoulders had rotated 180 degrees and were now propelling the mech backwards, completely counteracting Hornitor's attempts to break free. Unfazed and single-minded as ever, the creature cried loudly and pawed the air in front of it, still intent on the targets before it.

"Just say when!" Alexandria shouted into her communicator. "S-soon, please."

The battle was quickly ramping up as their mechas clashed with the creature. The youth, who appeared to be much better a team player than he had originally let on, was guiding them towards a viable plan that seemed to be actually working. Even more surprising was the youth’s less lethal means of dealing with the Kaiju. Interesting. Safiya did not have time to contemplate the merit behind his efforts nor his sudden change of heart, for it was time for her to move into action.

Safiya noted that despite their combined efforts to restrain the beast, it seemed as though they were still struggling to keep it as such. The hornitor defiantly fought against Alexandria’s mecha as it held the creature back from charging at the team. If Alexandria were to effectively tranquilize the creature, she would probably need to free herself from the cable to properly aim at it.

The inkling of an idea began to worm itself into her head and she began to rapidly tap on various touchscreens to activate the Storm Fists. The golden rings along the wrists of Solar Plexus began to whir to life as electrical energy ran through the weapons systems towards the mecha’s fists.

“Activating storm fists and proceeding to interrupt Kaiju activity,” she said to alert the team. Moments later two spiked bolts emerged from the knuckles of Solar Plexus, electricity bouncing between the two bolts on each hand like a taser. Aiming a fist at the creature’s underside as targeting rings narrowed in on her screens Safiya fired two electrically charged cables. If she was correct, the electricity wouldn’t travel through the protective armour of the creature, leaving Alexandria safe and hopefully providing the team with enough team to effective tranquilize it.

Hornitor thrashed about as Lexi restrained the beast allowing for the others to move safely away. The beast thrashed about trying to free itself, forcing Lexi to constantly make small adjustments to her mech's positioning to prevent it from losing balance. Then oddly the beast stopped. The prongs from storm fist made contact and electrified the creature stunning it shortly. Lexi took this chance to release the tether and gain some distance.

Once Hornitor regained itself its eyes focused on Rankaku. Its head lowered as it charged. Hornitor ran differently this time dragging its back leg along the ground as it barrelled forward. Mikan quickly began running toward Everard leading the massive monster. As Mikan reached Vibrant Rhetoric, she commanded Rankaku to vault over Rhet’s right shoulder leaving the kaiju on a direct collision course for the tip of Slander.

This was the moment Everard had been waiting for, and the pilot sprang his mecha into action immediately. A hydraulic hiss was followed by a clanging shunk, as he instructed the long spikes of the machine’s immobilization system to uproot themselves, took a few strides forward, then forcefully planted his polearm’s blunt end into one of the shafts Strawman had left behind. His spear angled towards the heavens but a few paces behind, Everard reengaged the mecha’s leg spikes, then launched the remainder of the Thesis missiles. This time, however, they were aimed not for the monster barreling towards him, but were quickly curved around; their pointed warheads sinking into the back of Vibrant’s forearms as the pilot ordered their engines to shut down.

A moment passed. Immovable metal object bracing for impact with unstoppable bestial force.

Then, an impossibly loud thud echoed in the cold Rastivanian air.

Hornitor’s charge had been met not with the tip of a spear, but with a full-on grapple. It looked for a moment as though the kaiju’s thundering mass would tear the navy-gold mecha cleanly in half, but Everard instructed the missiles puncturing his machine’s arms to reignite their engines just as the beast’s form fell into his grasp. The cyclical whir of Rhetoric’s core centrifuge joined a roaring chorus of rockets as the pilot leveraged Hornitor’s momentum, lifting the beast into a full Obernian supplex. The lizard’s form soon found itself arcing above Everard’s head, then deafeningly slammed onto the ground in which Slander had been affixed. The kaiju’s weight brought the upright weapon entirely through its midsection, pinning it to the Rastivanian dirt; an over-sized moth in the world’s largest exotic butterfly collection.

As the weapon pierced Hornitor, The monster let out a cry. Hornitor flailed about grasping at the spear as blood began to pool out. The horrible sound of claws scraping against metal could be heard before silence fell across the battlefield. Hornitor’s body fell limp on the spear… The kaiju had been defeated.

“Alright crew,” The silence was broken with Abigail’s voice. “ You did good out there. Take a quick breather and come on back when you’re ready. We’ll have the engineers on standby for diagnostics and repairs.”

This was not the work of an amateur.

Time ground to a halt as Hornitor arced through the air, a tragic multi-ton comet describing the parabola that would spell its end. Raza looked on, admiring the piloting skill on display. He had underestimated the Obernian. What the boy lacked in field experience, he made up for in strategy and skill. This was material with which one could build a team.

The Arbiter made its way to the skewered salamandre, leaving a trail of giant footprints over those of the beast that had charged to its demise moments prior. It was a sombre trudge, and Raza’s fears were confirmed as he knelt to examine their felled opponent; Hornitor was already dead. It was a tragic reality that not all corrupted kaiju could be subdued before their execution. Such was the nature of battle. Hornitor had fought bravely and died a warrior’s death. His spirit would feel no shame.

Giant metal hands gently cradled the creature’s head, and Raza spoke a ceremonial prayer over the communications system.

Ye who form the earth beneath
Fallen now in wretched state
Swift death did we to you bequeath
Return to dirt and judgment sate

Witness

A moment of silence followed, after which the Arbiter rose and Raza addressed the Obernian directly.

“You are over-eager, boy,” he began, before placing a hand on Vibrant Rhetoric’s shoulder. “But you have done well. Now, retrieve your weapon that we might return this fallen warrior to the frozen hills from whence he came.”

As Vibrant Rhetoric performed a baffling array of maneuvers, Lexi's expression went from perplexity, to awe, to horror. Mere moments before the impact of kaiju against earth, she commanded her mech to rush forward. Raza, being the closer of the two, reached the beast's side first. It was just as well. She didn't need to hear the Sarajul's verdict to know that Hornitor was either already dead or would be in a matter of seconds. She stood in place and looked on blankly as chatter from Raza and Abigail played over the communicator. The ecologist choked back a groan as she lowered her head and dug gloved fingers into her scalp. She'd had the perfect opportunity to prevent this. Suddenly, RSLE's head swiveled to point at the Obernian mech.

"What the hell was that!?" Lexi shouted, slowly walking RSLE closer to Rhetoric. "It's pretty obvious that you're intent on slaughtering whatever kaiju you can get your hands on, but I didn't expect you to go behind my back just so you could show off! What happened to tranquilizing it!? I-"

Alexandria caught a glimpse of the video feeds of the other pilots in her peripherals. Several pairs of eyes were on her now, but she wasn't done. It didn't matter how many confused looks she- wait, confused? The woman looked to her console. The light next to the communicator blinked on and off, indicating that it was currently in stand-by mode. She'd forgotten to activate the microphone. Lexi hung her head with a sigh, then moved to switch it on.

"I'd like to stay and offer my assistance with the disposal effort, if that's possible." She muttered.

As Mikan ran towards young pilot's mech she was relieved to see that neither it or the pilot had any second thoughts about flinching, likely thanks to his arena combat. That meant she'd be able to pull off a jump instead of serving off at the last second, leaving the best opening possible for Lexi. Rankaku's light frame meant the motion was smooth as she vaulted over the stationary mech, boosters thrusting for just the little bit of extra lift she'd need, and once on the other side her pace didn't change as to give room to the match of wills about to happen behind her.

She didn't hear the detachment and readjustment, instead only allowing Rankaku to halt and turn around at the sound of the impact. She saw Hornitor lift into the air and then slam into a large spike. The pilot's spear? It quickly dawned on her that he'd changed the plan, or likely never meant to see the first version through at all. She couldn't even yell at him, not with the mech's synth, all it would be was a flat lecture, so she didn't say anything and just looked away from the other pilots' feeds as she approached the group gathering around the beast.

Raza had already begun his prayer once she'd arrived, a sure sign Hornitor had passed. A solemn prayer, not one of victory, and not one she had recognized. Unable to join him she began her own, silently clasping her and Rankaku's hands in a circle over the body, it was all she could do to mouth the words.

My life for yours, your life for mine
Which ever way the current flows
The circle remains complete

Only noticing Lexi once she came over the coms, Mikan replied, "Please do. But be careful, blood tends to stain." But she wasn't looking at RSLE or its pilot as she did so.

It was a strange c*** of emotions, swirling around in the bath of adrenaline still splashing through Everard’s system. Elation, mostly, interspersed with a heavy dose of what could only be described as complete mortification. Only moments earlier, the Obernian had every intention of simply pinning one of the beast’s limbs to the floor, a wound intended to immobilize it, nothing more. And yet… when the kaiju was in his grasp, when life and death fell to his hands, the desire for revenge won out. It was sickening, that he had been unable to restrain himself in the moment of truth. It was even more sickening that he regretted it.

“Sorry.”

Everard couldn’t help but let out an apology. Partially a reply to Raza’s rebuke, yes, but equally an apology to the memory of his friend’s father; that he had, for a moment, let himself feel guilty for defending.

As the others regrouped around the kaiju’s corpse, the younger pilot instructed his mecha to lift itself from its prone position and help the others… to no avail. The mainframe and leg portions of his machine appeared to be fully functional, but the spindly arms weren’t meant for taking a bullrushing dinozard head-on, especially after being punctured by a cavalcade of missiles.
It seemed he was stuck.

“Pardon me, but could one of you give me a hand? ...I believe I overheated Rhet’s upper body motors.”