KAIJU FIGHT #1

[synfluxmods]

KAIJU FIGHT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: thalassophobia, natural disaster, drowning, body horror, violence, blood & gore.

▶ 001. SEAS THE DAY.

On the morning of the 1st, sirens will blare, forcing every Outsider and Neo Tokyo civilian awake. While it hasn't been activated for a while, every citizen within the city knows this alarm all too well - it wails through the city whenever a Kaiju has been detected, ordering everyone to return to their homes immediately and stay there until they receive further information. Outsiders gazing at Neo Tokyo will see the armored city in its full technological splendour for the first time today. Once the civilians have returned to their homes, machinery within the buildings will work like clockwork, sinking each and every LILITH-augmented building beneath the ground. Just in time, too, because the waves are starting to roar again, crashing beyond the shore and flooding the city once more. Observant Outsiders may note that not every building has been modified. The older ones remain standing, vulnerable to the impending flood. Does anyone live in those buildings? The answer is yes, but that's not a priority at the moment.

Every Outsider will receive a summon, ordering them to prepare for battle. The Kaiju has been identified and located. It's show time.

"Angels of LILITH. We have located the Kaiju coming from beyond the sea. A full mission brief including the information we have gathered will be sent to you immediately. For now, make your way to the bay where your transport will be waiting. Be prepared for anything, but mostly, be prepared to swim."

Waiting for the Outsiders at the bay appear to be ... expensive-looking, personal yachts? This has to be a mistake, right? It's no mistake. Through intel LILITH has exchanged with international companies, it appears that this particular Kaiju has a fondness for overturning civilian yachts, and there's no better way to attract it than to leave it its favourite bait. The goal is to attract these Kaiju towards the boats and then attacking.

The ships may look like they're outfitted for a fancy yacht party. In fact, some exploring down below deck in the lounging room, one may find caviar on fancy ritz, oyster tower, little finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off and bougie smelly cheese that nobody in LILITH's pay grade can identify. On another table, there is fancy ramen spoons filled with microgreens, crystal jelly vinegarette, and a thin slice of parmesan cheese. Some further looking may find some fine aged wine, but you're not here to drink and party, you're here to fight a Kaiju! Right? Right.

Despite the fact everything about these yachts just look like... fancy yachts... they are actual warships that are mounted with naval artillery such as swivel guns, missiles and torpedos. Spears, harpoon guns and fishing nets can also be found and used if an Outsider is more comfortable getting extremely close to the monsters. There's no time for a proper seafaring course, so Outsiders will be given a quick run down on how the controls work, and be sent on their way. They will also be given a special jewel-like implant that attaches to the skin, right along the forehead, and told to wear it if they need to go into the water. "Don't worry about it," the LILITH crew says. "But it'll be one hell of a ride if you use it."

Alongside the crew, Seok Dang seems to be also assisting (?) though he's gotten a hold of the reception food down below. Did he smell like fine wine? Possibly. But that's definitely a fancy, half eaten cracker in his hand. He's also got on a bright, neon life preserver. Maybe someone doesn't know how to swim.

"WHOOO HELLA YEAH, MOTHERFUCKERS. Don't know how to swim? Don't'cha worry. Daddy Dang has got you covered. I know CPR! I give the best CPR! 💖 I'll rescue ya. TONIGHT, WE BALL!"

Nobody uses that phrase anymore, but you know what? You do you, SD.

▶ 002. WHALE WATCHING.

Minutes into their ship's course, the boats will rock violently, as if those already violent waves have somehow come alive. There is something in the water! The mission brief would have been shared with them sometime during their trip, but maybe Outsiders want to pull up on their implant the image and debrief shared once again now that there is some action. The orca-like Kaiju trying to reach the shores of Neo Tokyo is called Shachimon, and she's been the cause of the violent waves and flooding we've seen for the past few weeks. Alongside of her and are her children orca who love to mimic everything their mother does. The biggest one, the matriarch of the pod, is over 60 meters in length - large enough to swallow a boat whole. The younger ones are smaller but just as ferocious, spanning from the size of a car to the size of a bus. The youngsters are a size small enough that they can leap out of the water, sometimes crashing down onto people and ships. Beware!

Shachimon will be fighting to knock over boats, or climbing on boats with their amphibious legs. Once they get their hands on humans or Outsiders, they pull them into the water, tearing them limb from limb to feed. Their control over the waves are no joke, either. With a powerful swing of their tail, they can conjure up tsunamis capable of overturning ships. The matriarch, if left to her own devices, seems bent on submerging Neo Tokyo to make food of all its citizens.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Shachimon
HEIGHT: Younger whales are 4 - 18 metres. The matriarch is 60 meters in length.
WEIGHT: 1500kg - 5000kg
CLASS: Highly dangerous.
LOCATION: Large bodies of water
ABILITIES: Use of sonar to detect any water movement. Fast swimmer. Very sturdy body thanks to all that whale blubber. High intelligence - commonly works together as a pod to take down prey. Capable of creating tsunamis that overturn boats. The largest Shachimon can sink a city if not stopped.
WEAKNESS: Electricity (since it will be inside water), dissection, spearing its eyes or blowhole. Loud vibrations within the water can stun or confuse it.
EXTRA NOTES: Dislikes and will attempt to overturn civilian yachts. Carnivorous, eating marine life and human flesh. Sadistic personality, may play with their food prior to eating.

█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Lead the Shachimon away from the shore.
✖ Extermination of Shachimon in the water and if they reach the shore.
✖ Protection of nearby fishermen's boats and civilians within those boats.
✖ Teamwork to destroy the matriach Shachimon.
✖ Bring back specimens (live or deceased) for research purposes.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

As a note, Outsiders who wish to remain on land and help civilians there may do so. There are waves flooding the city, and some of the smaller, quicker Shachimon will have made it to shore. They will need to be taken care of before they can terrorise the city.

▶ 003. OCEAN GEMS.

Shachimon are most deadly in the water and their go-to strategy is to pull others into their turf, where they have the advantage. That's where those jewel-like implants come in. These implants, called OCEAN GEMS, when attached to the skin, temporarily modify the body. Once activated, nanobots will invade the bloodstream and alter the user's lungs, giving them a set of breathable gills. Their legs will also be altered, giving them fins and the tail of a fish. This is a recent invention by LILITH ever since the first Shachimon was spotted a few years ago, and the technology is still experimental. This means that the transformation process will be significantly uncomfortable, feeling a bit like being asphyxiated and having your legs sewn together at the same time. Deactivating the gem and turning back feels just as uncomfortable, and being experimental technology, it can take a while before the user can successfully revert back. Those who want to fight in the water and lack any weapons or abilities that can be used can request Seok Dang for a weapon. There's a limited supply, but they will be given a special trident. Directly driving the spear into one of the kaiju will electrocute it, giving a higher chance for higher damage. These tridents will be handed out to those who want to use their Ocean Gem and ask.

It's up to Outsiders whether they want to use this new technology or not. Being able to fight the monsters on their own terrain is certainly an advantage, so LILITH would highly encourage it.

▶ 004. MEDICAL BAY.

Healers and those with medical experience will be placed on the warship with a red flag on it. Dr. Spim & Alex will also be present on this ship to assist any major injuries to both LILITH and civilian fisherman alike. This ship is bigger than the others, and while stocked up with the same artillery, it is also stocked with beds and medical supplies. This will be the Outsider's naval medical bay during the siege on the Shachimon and all injured Outsiders or civilians will need to be transported there. This ship will also need to be protected heavily, because once the Shachimon catch on that all the injured, vulnerable prey are being transported to the larger ship, they will start to target that ship in particular. Characters that need immediate medical help should be transported to this ship via a dataportal. Each yacht has a dataportal that can teleport anyone instantly to the medical ship. The dataportals are also located down below deck to prevent them from getting damaged.

▶ 005. THE CALM AFTER THE STORM.

It's a bloody, soggy and gruesome battle and the seas' waves begin to calm down, the sea filled with kaiju carcasses. LILITH's clean up crew is working hastily to collect these corpses, but with the Outsiders' occupied and recovering from their fresh battle, help is limited. Search and rescue scavenges the sea to find any civilians who didn't make it or may need medical help. Meanwhile, the valiant teamwork and effort has paid off. After many hits from many different weapons, artillery, natural abilities, etc. the matriarch kaiju has been downed and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor. LILITH's team will work to retrieve the massive carcass, though it will take awhile. Those who put in notable effort will receive praise and a little extra payout. Outsiders will see an instant transfer of funds to their account: 340,000,000 KRYPTOS. This is roughly about 2500 USD.

The intense battle will have lasted several days and Outsiders are free to go from land to sea as little or as often as they like. It is all over, though, and Outsiders will be called to return to the MAIN BASE for rest and recovery. LILITH will also be searching for the rift where the kaiju came from while Outsiders recover. A message from an unknown voice will pop up an hour or so after all Outsiders have returned to the MAIN BASE. Outsiders may use this time to socialize in a commons area, wash up in the showers, get a meal in the cafeteria or rest.

"Good work."

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our first Kaiju log! All prompts are highly encouraged but OOCly optional. ICly, characters can choose to fight in the ocean, on the ships or stay behind on land and protect the city. At the end of the siege, characters who accepted an Ocean Gem will be asked to return it. It's experimental technology, so LILITH will need to do more tweaking before they can properly release it. Outsiders who use the gem may have whatever fish tail they like, as long as it is a sea creature.

Feel free to NPC your characters' fights with the smaller kaijus. The main fight with the Shachimon matriarch will be determined via a HP-based system (See below).

Please note that all tags in this log count for 2 reward points each. Ask any further questions below!

Below is also the month at a glance. We understand the CALENDAR has been a little inconsistent, but the mod team is sorting all of this out. Expect a FEEDBACK POST this month as well so we can check in with the playerbase and make any adjustments to the game. This log, even if the time stamp says JANUARY, will count for FEBRUARY AC.

FEB 1st: Kaiju Fight Log in LOG COMMUNITY
FEB 15th: Text Post in NETWORK COMMUNITY
FEB 25th: Mod posted MEME COMMUNITY; FEEDBACK POST is live.

Thank you all for being a wonderful and understanding playerbase!

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Comments

[gundemn]

[ Who thinks a robot is no good for rescuing people? Well, this guy. Elan has always thought of his gundam as a metal death trap, a tool for war. That it can be used to save lives is the sort of idealistic notion only GUND-ARM would believe in. But he has to admit it's been useful for clearing the way for survivors to climb out of their flooded apartment and evacuate to safer ground. Elan looks chill in comparison as he's rounded on. ]

That's what I mean! Your face is looking kinda scary there. You're giving the monsters a run for their money.

[ Yeah...unfortunately for the survivors, he's not doing a good job of pacifying anyone at all. At least he's redirecting the ire? ]

[blastedass]

[Guess what's getting proven to him right now? It's only a metal death trap for someone who uses it like a metal death trap. Even the most destructive of Quirks can be used for heroic means if the person wielding it makes that choice. A tool is a tool in the end. Without the drive behind it, nothing happens. Dynamight watches as people climb from windows and skirt around the debris the gundam holds up. Probably should just climb onto the damn thing and let it carry the survivors to safety at this rate.

But the boats are a better idea in the long run.]

YOU WANNA START SOMETHING, YOU BAKA MECHA?! [He'll end this prick right here and now if he keeps running his shit mouth! Still keeping an eye on the evacuations, making sure people are getting out safely and moving in order.]

[gundemn]

[ Elan definitely could use more of that attitude and thinking, but he went to a school run by profiteers and not heroes. It feels strange to be using the Pharact for search and rescue. He's currently holding up a wall to steady it from collapse, so he doesn't think the other guy would really start a fight. Because he doesn't want one! Unfortunately, he has a bad habit of running his mouth. ]

You had better move along quickly! If he charges me, I might drop the whole thing.

[ Elan calls out to the survivors cheerfully in encouragement(?). These poor people. ]

[blastedass]

[If they have more conversation and the topic or idea comes up, Elan's going to have that kind of attitude and thinking punched into his face in blunt retort. As more people skirt out from under the wall and rush past it, Dynamight demands to know (of the more composed survivors) if there are others inside the building that need help. Despite his appearance and attitude, he's efficient at what he does and gets the answers he wants.]

Urusei! Keep that shit up! [The wall, in point. Dynamight slams an explosion onto the ground to pop himself up onto the gundam's knee. Where the hell did Elan keep this thing when not in use? Parked outside his dorm?] There's only a few more left. Once they clear out, lower the wall 45 degrees to your left. It's flat ground there.

[gundemn]

[ 'Keeping it up' just means sitting here and letting his robot do the work while the other teen handles the evacuation, so he does just that, watching Bakugo as he interrogates civilians for information. Despite the guy's brash attitude, he seems like he knows what to do. Elan lets out a hum of surprise when the explosion sounds and he finds Bakugo has suddenly rocket launched himself up. ]

Oh? So your attire isn't for show.

[ A rather fitting power for his explosive personality. He'd better remember that in the event that he ever has to dodge a punch. ]

Haha, how bossy.

[ Elan remarks in singsong, but he follows directions and sets the slab down carefully once all the people have evacuated. Then he lifts a mechanical hand to wave to a kid who'd stopped to stare. ]

[blastedass]

[Don't underestimate the power of "sitting here" sometimes. A bridge might do bullshit in appearance, but it'll still save lives as long as it stays up. That's what Elan's doing right now. The building would've come down if he hadn't been here to help it stay up. It may lose a wall, but the rest is likely salvageable thanks to the gundam's support. As well as the people who are now safely out and making their way through the streets with the help of the other rescue team members.]

Haa? A hero's costume is never just for show, idiot! [Not only are they themed to the image and/or Quirk of the individual hero, they often incorporate their support gear too. Tch, bastard, thinking his costume's nothing more than show.]

Shut up and do it. [Is this guy some eternally cheerful person? Or is that sarcasm hiding inside a playful demeanor... He's thinking more along the lines of the latter.

... okay maybe a mixture of both, what with the waving and all.] That clears out this building. There's one more in this block.

[gundemn]

You look like you walked out of a comic book. [ Last time he checked, monsters and superheroes were supposed to be fictional. ] Here to save the world?

[ Bakugou would be right to detect sarcasm behind Elan's cheerful front. Though there is a part of him that's genuinely intrigued. He's still coming to terms with the idea of superpowers just casually existing in other worlds. Maybe that explains why everyone else is more gung-ho about this kaiju fighting business than him. ]

Lead the way, brave hero.

[blastedass]

I LOOK AWESOME AND YOU'RE FUCKING JEALOUS!! [Granted, a lot of heroes were inspired by comic books and manga. Villains too. When that fictional idea became a reality in Bakugou's world, it created that very occupation. Not that he wants to hear that out of someone riding around in a giant fucking mecha like some villain in his favorite "I'll crush you" machine suit.] We all are. And I'll do it well before you!

[Yeah, he got the damn sarcasm. Though it's still jaded in his response because while he does want to save the people here, there's no getting around the reality they were all fucking kidnapped and gangpressed to do exactly that. Pisses him off even though he's (currently) going along with it for several reasons.

And look, while he's not going to SAY it, Bakugou is silently impressed with Elan's gundam. It's a fucking mech! That was a whole different genre of manga in his world and even if it was dated now, the history remained pretty damn cool. U.A. used robots and such to battle and train, but some heroes had transforming support gear and other such devices. Like a car that turned into a plane, a ring that turned into a hand-mounted cannon, etc.

It all still kind of pales to a fucking gundam stomping around the semi-flooded bay area.]

Don't get lost.

[And shoves off the machine's shoulder, another explosion carrying him further into the area through the air.]

[gundemn]

Please do! The sooner the world's saved, the sooner we'll be free to go.

[ When did world saving become a competition? Elan has no intention of being a competitor or getting in the way. He never asked to be drafted and he'd be okay not being a hero, though he wisely keeps the thought to himself. The other guy seems genuinely passionate about the hero business, it's surprising.

Unfortunately, Elan is about the most unheroic mecha pilot around. It all comes back to how a tool is used in the end. The coolest robot doesn't do any good in the wrong hands. ]

Coming, coming.

[ He takes flight after Bakugou. Not letting him out of his sight but not flying as fast as he could to keep up either. ]

[blastedass]

Then follow my orders like a good fucking mecha pilot and stop bitching!

[Saving the world is definitely a competition, but even Bakugou's not going to be able to do it on his own. There are far too many enemies to deal with. It's not that he's any better with being shanghaied than Elan, but he is a hero in the end. And these people need help. Refusing to help people who really need it would be a mockery of everything the heroes in his world stood for. Especially now... But that said, Bakugou keeps in mind his own loyalties. More to the Outsiders than LILITH.

Someone can't call themselves "unheroic" if they're willing to do heroic things. If Elan was truly villainous, or even apathetic, he wouldn't be helping as he is now. So far, LILITH hasn't proven to be able to force them to act, so... this is Elan's choice, whether he wants to admit it or not.

There's a fucking robot flying after him and it's pretty damn cool. One day they'll have to race. Today is not that day. The other building comes into view, surrounded by a small lake of water, most of the civilians having retreated to the roof and top floors. Unfortunately, the building itself looks damaged enough, it's not going to be salvageable...]

The south side of the building's starting to buckle. [That explains why all the people are on the north side, trying to balance it out.] Prop it up for now.

[gundemn]

[ Elan chuckles in amusement and makes a mental note to bitch more, if only because it's funny to see him so riled up. There's a time to mess around and a time to be serious, however. When they come across the building surrounded by water, he complies and flies Pharact to the weak side of the structure. A quick zoom of the roof had revealed the faces of men, women, and children huddled together waiting for rescue. It's hard to completely turn a blind eye to what's in front of him. He can understand how they must be feeling right now, after all.

The mobile suit creaks as he braces it against the building and turns up the thrusters to support the structure. There are models better suited for this kind of work. The company would probably be appalled to see their property handled so roughly, but Elan has no fondness for it. He can't see what Bakugou's doing from this angle but assuming he's still there, he calls out. ]

This mobile suit's not really built for heavy lifting! Can you find a boat before the whole thing collapses?

[blastedass]

[Bakugou curses under his breath when Elan reveals his gundam isn't designed for bracing something like that. It makes it worse that the residents are all on the roof and not on the ground floor. Which makes sense since it's flooded. While he could carry out the evacuations himself, one or two people at a time isn't going to get everyone out in any kind of too-speedy manner. There's almost twenty people on the roof as it is. Shit.] Hold on for a few more seconds!

[What floor, what floor's it on? He quickly counts the levels in the building, then scans around the area. There, that'll work. Dragging an entire boat isn't in his ability, but he does spot two options and blasts his way up to Pharact's shoulder to point out the pair.] There's one of the yachts in the harbor. There's also a warehouse to your left. We could use the roof as a slide.

[It's metal, but considering it's already half-peeled off and the warehouse is flooded... not going to be good for much else. The boat is also an idea if Elan wants to load people on, but Bakugou would be better off trying to hold the damn building up than trying to fly the yacht over here...]

[gundemn]

[ Elan glances in the direction Bakugou indicates. Ah, good find. Between the boat and the warehouse roof, neither is ideal but he's sure they can make it work. He's aware of the pressure he's exerting on the Pharact, he can hear its engine roaring as he continues to push against the building. ]

How do you feel about driving a yacht?

[ They don't have a license, but who cares. These are desperate times, Elan doubts LILITH will get too fussed about a boat hijacking. ]

It's that or we see what we can do about that roof. I think a few explosions should loosen it up.

[ Then he can easily tear the thing off its hinges and waste no time getting it to the stranded. ]

[blastedass]

I've never driven one in my life.

[With all the debris in the flooded waters, he wouldn't trust the damn thing to make it to the building in the first place. If the Pharact's struggling to hold the building up, hauling an entire yacht over is 50/50 for them at best. People would have to load into it as well, further dredging their time. He scowls at the thought before shoving off the gundam again and blasting towards the warehouse.]

There's a vehicle by your right foot! Use it to buttress the corner; that should by us enough time!

[The building isn't exactly an exaggerated leaning tower of piza, but it's not going to hold up too much longer. Trusting Elan to deal with that, Bakugou starts working on the warehouse roof, blasting the corners and firing at the sides to loosen the bolts or straight up blow the fasteners off entirely.]

[gundemn]

You don't look it, but you're surprisingly quick at sizing things up.

[ Elan lowers his gundam down to the waterlogged car and grabs onto it, water spilling out as he props it up sideways against the structure (sorry to the owner, but it was already a goner anyway). The building creaks but holds steady. A few frightened screams can be heard from people on the roof who'd felt the uneasy sensation.

Flying over to Bakugou, Elan joins him in tugging at the roof to tear it free. Thanks to the bolts being loosened, the metal comes off without much protest. He carries it over to the building, but as soon as he draws near, people begin to push forward as a crowd. ]

Hey, easy, no rush. We're gonna get everyone down.

[ It'll be bad if they all start sliding down at once. ]

[blastedass]

You wanna eat your gear stick, Metal Face?

[Granted he hasn't seen Elan out of his suit, so the nickname's just going on the gundam alone. Doubt anyone's going to care about the car being used as a proverbial door jam, considering the state of it already. Not a happy thought, but the owner might not even be around to give a shit. At least the idea holds up. Literally.

Bakugou's work on the roof makes it an easy drag for the gundam to handle. Those with a more steady mind can see where this is going already, considering how they start to push and crowd.]

Bring it to the other side of the building. That'll counterbalance the current lean.

[If everyone was gathering away from the tilt, it will give them more time. That said-]

STOP FUCKING SHOVING, YOU BASTARDS!! YOU WANNA GET PUSHED OFF BEFORE THIS IS UP?! [No mercy even for the panicked and relieved.] Keep to the east side! Women and children first! Keep the injured stable! Anyone on the west side's got a fucking death wish!

[gundemn]

[ Bakugou's fiery reaction gets a chuckle out of Elan. He supposes he hasn't shown himself yet. Outside of the cockpit he's not so different from the refugees, with limited strength and means to help. Never did he think he would be grateful for Pharact's power or feel anything but resentment towards it. It's difficult to reconcile, but now's not the time to get tied up about it. He calls out to the refugees, adding helpfully(?) ]

Listen to the spiky head! He might have a scary face, but he means well.

[ No sooner are the words out of his mouth does he strategically take off to the side opposite the tilt. Elan leans the metal slab against the building, holding it in place so it won't slip so long as they're not stampeding it. ]

All set! Please form lines, stay away from the edges, and no pushing!

[blastedass]

[Bakugou was pretty surprised to find out the guy got to bring his entire gundam with him, but considering he was brought with his hero costume and gear, it wasn't hard to adjust to. (Mostly the size of the damn thing.) The guy doesn't sound too much older than him over the communicator, but Bakugou's not above wondering where on the robot the cockpit is. Could be head, torso, or literally cockpit.]

WHO THE HELL AR YOU CALLING "SPIKY HEAD"?! IT'S GREAT EXPLOSION MURDER GOD DYNAMIGHT!!

[Right, because that's going to be the mouthful everyone wants to say. Go with "Dynamight" like most people in his world do. It's the compromise that made the committee agree to the ridiculous name Bakugou originally wanted and now has "before" the one suitable for television.]

Get moving! [Bakugou lets Elan handle the slab and he takes it on himself to go to the opposite side of the building, both to make sure everyone's cleared out from the west and the building is holding at the wedge. There is some panic from the people inside, but the mixture of salvation at hand and a scary bomber in back makes them obey Elan's kinder orders. Using the metal as a slide to get from the upper floor windows to the ground below.]

Tell them to head to the road behind you. There are other evacuation directors there.

[gundemn]

[ Not only can Elan not remember, he has to wonder if that long and edgy title is really much better than 'spiky head'. His sense of self-preservation tells him he should keep his mouth shut and his opinions to himself, though. So he turns the laughter bubbling up in his throat into a cough and clears his throat. It's a good thing Bakugou doesn't know exactly where the cockpit is, or he might be in trouble.

Ahem. Elan puts on his conductor voice to direct the civilians. ]

Please watch your step and proceed down the road! Evacuation staff will be waiting to take you to safety.

[ At his beckoning, the citizens begin their descent down the slide, but there are those who look nervous and hesitate when they reach the edge, the young and the ones just afraid of heights among them. So he adds on encouragingly. ]

The slide will hold steady, keep moving, don't be afraid! You should be more afraid of Mr. Explosion God of Dynamite behind you.

[blastedass]

[OF COURSE IT'S BETTER! Hero names are supposed to strike the opponent with intimidation, capture the essence of the image or ability the hero has, and give the civilians around them a sense of confident, relief, and protection, knowing the hero has arrived. Bakugou glares to the side, but doesn't mention further on the cough. They have bigger things to worry about now, getting the civilians trapped in the building to safety.

At least Elan is better at the directions than Bakugou is... The people seem to trust his voice more and would rather go with the guy not threatening to blast them off the building.

Also it's a good thing Bakugou is guarding the west side of the building, because he definitely would have started throwing people out the windows to get them down the damn slide. Adults can help the scared children and those able can help the disabled down the slide, dealing with fear of heights as needed.]

So the rich buildings can take shelter during a kaiju raid, but the poor are left to get wrecked. Tch. Even with 30% of the population left, there's still social divide.

[Because people are people.]

[gundemn]

That's how the rich are. I'm not surprised.

[ Caring only about their own safety and treating other lives as cheaper than theirs...Whether in this world or his, on earth or in space, the social divide persists. Elan shuts off the external speakers so the refugees can't hear his conversation with Bakugou. What he's about to say doesn't mince words. ]

This building's done for. They'll have to find a different place to live or end up homeless.

[ He makes Pharact wave encouragingly to signal a child to slide down, giving the kid a thumbs up when she reaches the bottom. Kids are easy to delight when they haven't seen the horrors of what a mobile suit can do. Her innocent heart probably doesn't realize she won't be coming home again. ]

[blastedass]

Not all rich are like that. You just think these asshole would pull together more when there's a fucking global threat.

[The grumpy, sarcastic way he says it indicates Bakugou's pissed the society hasn't done that, without conveying any surprise that it's gone the way it has. People are often worried about their own, even during times of trials, though there have been plenty of examples where trials bring out the genuine humanity in people...

He glances to the side when the communications go quieter, indicating Elan's shut off the gundam's speakers. Private, huh. Oh that's why. There's a brief "che" of annoyance before he responds.]

I could've told you that from the start. A lot of people are carrying personal items they rescued. Seems they know they won't be returning. [It makes him wonder what LILITH plans to do with those left devastated by the kaiju attack.] LILITH's report indicated people chose to live here despite being warned not to.

[But what he doesn't know is whether that choice was a "choice" or if people simply opted to stay where it was cheaper, farther away, or some other personal decision not motivated by a forced social division. If LILITH is offering housing in the safe buildings, but people opt not to accept for other reasons, technically that's not LILITH's burden to bear...

They don't have the information yet to make that judgement call without assumptions and bias.]

[gundemn]

[ Heh, wouldn't that be something. Elan can't imagine the rich setting aside their own interests and banding together. If that were possible, they wouldn't be here taking care of people who should have been accounted for. ]

Maybe they're too poor to afford better, maybe they were refugees to begin with. With giant monsters around, there can't be that many people too attached to their homes to leave.

[ He can't remember the last place he had to call home, so it's not a sentiment he understands. If they knew the risks and chose to live in the old constructions anyway, they'd have to be foolish or overly-sentimental. Personally, he would pack his bags and leave at first opportunity. It would save the rest of them a whole lot of trouble, too. At least evacuation goes quickly enough and without incident. ]

We're about done here. See any stragglers?

[blastedass]

[Oh rich people will definitely do that when the rich as a whole are threatened. Bakugo's seen it happen in his world, both for good and for evil. Note, rich banding together with rich, not with the lower or middle class. Well, there are plenty of wealthy people in his world who actively help those less fortunate than themselves. But he can't begrudge someone who's built their fortune up from skill and work not wanting to just give their fortune away to other people.]

I don't know. If it was their choice, they have a reason for it. If LILITH was bringing Outsiders in to help save people while kicking people out to die, we would've noticed that already.

[And likely many of the Outsiders would refuse to help a group as corrupt as that. Still, whatever has driven these people to live in the older housing despite warnings to the contrary can't be good. Perhaps they know something that others don't... or actually care about that knowledge enough to choose the harder lodging. Without talking to them, they have no idea. It could be as simple as sentimentality. Or it could be complex with plots.]

None. [Yeah, because they're scared as fuck of Bakugo yelling and threatening them.] Once they're out, back off. The building's gonna come down.

[Bakugo takes the time to go inside and scour through the floors, keeping his blasts lessened to avoid damaging the structural integrity more. He wants a run through first, yelling for people and listening for answers. Any one trapped, anyone foolishly sleeping. So far no one on the metal slide is shouting at either Outsider to go back and look for someone left behind... no "my baby" or "save my mother" or "my friend's still in there" hollers.]

[gundemn]

You mean they kidnapped us to do the work they don't want to do! The way these buildings have been neglected, some lives are cheaper than others and they know it.

[ Elan exclaims brightly. He won't give LILITH any credit for their benevolence. In his opinion, the organization is made up of selfish corporate honchos who will put others in the firing line before they stick their own necks out. They'll "save" people as long as it's not them taking on risk. His past at Peil Technologies has done a number on his willingness to trust a company's goodwill.

As the last few citizens make their way down the slide, he calls for them to keep moving and not hover at the base of the building in case of what's soon to be falling debris. Elan doesn't need to be told twice to retreat, pulling the roof away and setting it flat on the ground where it can't fall on anyone. He's been watching the structure's integrity for his own safety as much as anyone else's. ]

I'm pulling out. Don't play hero too long in there.