Montage Fury (Gear)

Dec 16, 2018
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#1
On a series of streets and sidewalks, various buildings wrought of various metallic alloys stood firmly and proudly displayed the yellow emblem of the Everglory Kingdom as well as bright neon signs advertising various business logos, Above the tips of gigantic futuristic monoliths laid a colourful sky much like Earth's dazzling array of blue and dots of grey clouds.

Despite this, there was an obvious sign that it was artificial by the fact that the city bordered upon a gigantic transparent window into the unforgiving pressure-lacking environment that would be expected from the moon. The window faded into the artificial atmosphere seamlessly, creating an unexpectedly beautiful gradient into a sea of stars and a wasteland of grey.

Inside one of the largest skyscrapers, within a large room full of darkness, a simulator was running and the digitized noises of explosions and booming weapons fire as well as music echoed. A young adult in a fine suit with a short mane of black hair danced his fingers about the controls, while large amounts of sweat beaded against his forehead and slowly fell across his face. His silver eyes were dancing to a similar rhythm, quickly squinting as well as opening widely while the action on the panoramic screen continued.

Within the simulation, his machine was barely keeping out of range of gigantic blasts of energy as well as missiles and gigantic metal shells. His eyes narrowed at the appearance of another enemy, which aimed its weapon towards his machine and threatened to end his game swiftly. Swiftly, the young adult pushed his controls forward to rush and punch the machine down, but a momentary flash interrupted his entire thought process in just a few seconds.

With a heaving groan, the sweat-laden man navigated his hands to gradually switch off the sim before a section of the cockpit swiftly opened up and allowed him to exit. Lanius crawled out of the machine, with a silent scowl on his face. As fresh, cold air finally hit his skin, he felt the disappointment of his loss quickly fade into silent satisfaction. He not-so-quietly muttered to himself, while softly holding his head.

"I'm getting better... Finally. But I need a drink.. Servant?"

Lanius' voice echoed through the spartan halls, much more so due to the metallic construction of both the floor and walls. By his own estimate, it would've reached the kitchen at most..
 

GEAR

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#2
"This would appear to be the place."

There was a dry click as the door swung shut, and a pair of polished, jet black dress shoes touched the pavement. From the confines of a low, sleek limousine stepped a thin, pale, androgynous looking young man, his spry dark hair wrapped in a careful bundle, a pair of dark sunglasses matching a pale blue suit and ebon tie, held in place with an immaculate sapphire pin. The new arrival craned his neck up at the skyscraper, grimacing at the light, as though in disgust - though in truth, his contempt was directed towards the building, in all its unnecessary vastness.

At length, he raised a hand, turning his head slightly towards the driver's window, saying as he did:

"Keep the engine running. This won't take long."

"Yes, milord."

He made his way up a walkway, conscious of the sound of his footsteps echoing on the artificial cobblestone, admiring the precise shearing of the hedges and cleanliness of a bubbling fountain as he did. Once, he thought, he had lived like this, in better times - but he forced the memories away, forcing himself to turn to the business at hand. Approaching a gate, he pressed an inlaid switch, and waited patiently. In a few seconds, a holographic form pulsed into view, the visage of a guard, doubtlessly one employed at the residence, made itself known, asking gruffly:

"State your business."

"Please inform the scion of Welter, that House Exeter has come to pay its respects during his time of need."

The sudden cessation of static on the other end caused a thin smile to emerge on William Exeter's lips.

It was always nice to see, after all, that one's name still carried clout.
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#3
Back inside the bedroom, Lanius had picked up a handheld plastic container with a straw from his servant before he was visited by his guard. After being told what was happening, he waved his vassal away and quietly walked through his stark grey living room before his free left hand grasped the handle of the front door. He pulled himself through, swiftly laying his wrist on a glowing light of the doorknob before sweeping the door shut with his foot in one smooth movement. He brought the straw to his lips, and sipped down on what tasted like strawberry milk, even though he knew it wasn't.

With a small groan accentuating his annoyance, he traveled bashfully down the monochrome halls with the only solitary splotches of colour being adverts for various products that were related to royalty and miscellaneous fruits and vegetables. Chirpy voices with chipper tones slid into his ears, speaking nonsense that didn't follow any kind of reality or science.

Moments later, footsteps that could be easily compared to an expensive brand immediately spiked through the floor in the main lobby. Lanius' stature did little to flatter himself, as he trudged forward with a small drink still in hand. His eyes stared straight at the other one of noble lineage, before he eventually walked close enough to trigger the auto door and let a gust of wind lift his hair.

With a sweeping motion keeping his eyes from being irritated, Lanius spoke to the House Exeter representative in a facetiously respectful tone. A measure of aggression came through in his tone at the end of his sentence, while his gaze tightened into a mock glare for a split second before loosening back into a bored stare.

"House Exeter. It's a pleasure. Last time I saw you, it was inside a newscast. Now let me ask one question.. What's your business here?"
 

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#4
William didn't have to wait long. Sure enough, the door opened, and he was treated to... Well, more or less what he expected from Welter - a young man who looked like he had just rolled out of bed. The two regarded one another in silence, Lanius' glare met only with a passive stare from William that betrayed nothing - no emotion, no hostility... Merely tranquility. It was an expression he had learned to hone over the years, especially when dealing with other nobles.

"Sir Lanius Welter."

He extended a gloved hand in greeting, saying as he did:

"William Exeter."

Those dark blue hues locked eyes with Lanius' own. There was no twinkle of merriment in them, none of the youthful optimism that characterized others of his age. No, they were the eyes of a man who had been forced to take on responsibilities that others would have fled from, and whom the pressure of such had hardened into a form not incomparable to the namesake of the machine he rode - a sapphire, sparkling and firm. Beneath that gaze, William offered a thin, disarming smile, full of flawless white teeth.

"Rumors have been circling about the state of Welter regarding a recent conflict with House Beauchamp..."

Lanius, at that particular moment, may have recalled that Exeter and Beauchamp were far from friends. Beauchamp had invested heavily in the production of Orgone, and had as a consequence won considerable favor and patronage from the royal family - accolades that had once been the sole property of Exeter. The intentions of his visitor, it seemed... Were more than a little self serving.

"Rather than rely on hearsay, I would rather get the truth of the story straight from the source."
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#5
The words of the House Exeter made Lanius respond simply by listening intently and silently, before he tightened his eyelids as the word Beauchamp reached him. Once it was his turn to talk, Lanius' mildly annoyed voice seemed to become much more annoyed, almost bordering on anger. His feet brought him completely face on with the Exeter, which gave their tense staring contest an almost murderous vibe which coincided with what he was about to say.

"You're talking about that day, when I recovered 'it'. Just come with me, the formalities can wait."

Without even a moment to consider what else the House Exeter had to say, Lanius made a heel-turn on his expensive shoes and stepped back through the auto-door into the hall of the building with the same blatant dryness as he carried with himself coming down the stairs. He turned his head for a moment with his free hand casually lifted up and beckoned silently for Exeter to follow, despite how the glint in his eyes was turning dangerous.
 

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#6
"Of course. These days, anyone could be listening in."

As Lanius turned, William could only barely manage to conceal a smug smirk. Turned out keeping his finger on the pulse of the situation had been the right bet after all. Now, he thought... He just had to see what the payout would be. He walked after the young scion, hands folded neatly behind his back, his gaze traveling across the home and its furniture in the smooth, practiced manner of one who is always passively collecting information, as he allowed himself to be led.
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#7
Eventually, Lanius stopped in place near a vacant wall with his eyes on the floor. With a specific tapping of his feet, he brought to his own mind a familiar medley. His strange foot tapping continued, echoing through the room and even the floor. As though in response, the house itself seemed to rumble as a seam in the wall opened like a door to a metallic hall. Compared to the comfortable living space, the area beyond was pure function and had little other than a descending path of stairs and a storm of pipes. With a bored tone, Lanius urged for Exeter to follow once more.

"Down there is where 'it' is.. After I slaughtered those grunts, life wasn't the same. Of course, I was lauded for defending an ancient relic, but I still murdered other Lunarians of the Everglory Kingdom. Their families... They sent me a message. They wished to face me in combat. Is that what you wanted to know?"

After looking back at Exeter, his gaze was anchored on the stairs. The youth climbed down the dark and dreary tunnel and silently kept his sharp ears open to Exeter's eventual dialogue.
 

GEAR

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#8
William followed the son of Welter, saying little and nodding along as he absorbed the scenery. At the reveal of the secret passageway, his eyebrows raised minutely - hardly the kind of thing, he thought mildly, that you would reveal errantly to a rival family - and, make no mistake, he certainly considered himself as such. Diplomacy, as he understood it, was the art of shaking hands with another while still carrying a knife behind your back - but for the moment, he offered no rebuttal, climbing down gingerly into the damp behind Lanius.

Slaughter, he thought, is right. While he had only been privy to salacious rumor, the details of the murderous beating that this youth had visited upon the Beauchamps had been the subject of much exaggeration, he thought... yet, here was the scion himself, testifying to the very fact.

"I simply wished to understand the details. Much hearsay of your deeds has been spun, none of it flattering. Welter is a storied house, and there are many who stand to gain, were it to fall from grace - some of these, perhaps, those you would least suspect."

As they reached the bottom, descending to the stairs, William procured an embroidered handkerchief from his pocket, raising it to his mouth, as if to avoid breathing in... whatever might be in the fumes in this turgid place, as he continued.

"What I am saying, Sir Lanius… Is that you are in need of allies."
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#9
"Allies?"

If it weren't for Lanius taking another silently murderous look back at Exeter, it would have sounded quite friendly with the tone he was using. Eventually, the two of them reached a large metal door that was taller and broader than the both of them. Without any moments to get a keycard of any kind out, Lanius walked towards a strange panel on the wall besides the door and slammed his wrist on it. An approving little ping was heard before heavy metallic grinding filled the room as the door slowly gripped its way upward with large gears.

Lanius quietly retrieved his arm, nursing the reddened area on his wrist. He walked into the front of the doors, before standing still and turning back to Exeter. He quietly talked in a manner that showed a degree of trust, but contempt slid under his words like a snake and added some venom to his speech.

"Honestly, if you are intending that we work together.. It should only be for the purpose of both parties getting a mutual gain. What will you gain from being my ally? My skills in a Personal Trooper, much less a Lunarian machine, are mediocre at best."

The Lunarian Vassal finished as soon as the door was open, which revealed a lone saturated pink machine situated in multiple chains and restraining devices as well as various metallic scanners. A large scaffold was wrapped around the cockpit opening, which was connected to a large metal staircase. Lanius led the Exeter forward with a mere gesture, and took a few steps into the large room.
 

GEAR

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#10
"What I stand to gain is a trifling pittance."

If William had a response to Lanius' sudden glare, it was muted. He responded to the expression with a look of innocent curiosity, blinking slowly. Of course, given his position, it was anything as such... But he had no reason to give the man to suspect otherwise, at this point.

"It just so happens that the Beauchamp House has always endeavored to kick Exeter especially hard, whenever we found ourselves down in the dirt."

The Knight's hand that wasn't being pressed against the wall as they walked... unconsciously closed into a fist, as he thought on the various insults that had been visited upon their honor, time and time again, by the Beauchamps and their ilk. Sending them hurtling into oblivion, face-first... Would be the first in a string of vengeance that had been decades coming.

"Any opportunity to bring humiliation upon their heads... Would be welcome indeed."

As they reached the excavated Mobile Weapon, he found his eyebrows raising as he examined it. The glimmering green, he thought... Almost certainly Orgon. The prospect alone raised the hairs on the back of his neck... But, for the time being, it was unavoidable to work with these contemptible machines. He followed Lanius, staying just a few steps behind as he continued to speak, casually:

"This is the machine in question? How did you understand how to operate it?"
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#11
Lanius looked up at the machine, while both of his finely clothed arms coiled around themselves as he crossed them. He eventually gave Exeter a proper look, which was wholly different from the looks that he gave the man in front of the building. His voice eventually crawled out, confused but quite eager to spread his words.

"I'll just explain what happened first... When I grasped the handles inside the cockpit, I suddenly felt the reflex to pump my hands forward.. It sent the machine's hands into a fury unlike anything we Lunarians have devised as weapons, as the manipulators themselves were coated in Orgone energy. My research division guesses it's an energy called the Cytron, which was documented in other machines that were also excavated... Although, we cannot get a closer look as this is the only one that I was given ownership to."
 

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#12
"Orgone Energy still has many mysteries."

It was a carefully neutral statement given his prejudice towards such devices... yet, William was more than familiar with the Cytron Particle, that elementary piece of the puzzle that was essential to their defeat years prior. It was a system that could turn even a rank amateur into a professional level fighter in mere minutes, directly inputting the associated piloting information and reflexes into the pilots brain.

Still, he thought - using its fists? How barbaric.

"Of course," - He added stiffly; "Exeter's D-Extractor still offers higher performance."
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#13
Lanius dryly stared back at Exeter, without any visible anger overcoming his features. He marched towards the machine, putting a few meters between Exeter and himself before he replied to the former's bias with his own. His gaze was interrupted only by blinking, and the occasional stare that went past the House Exeter and into the heavy metal doors that they entered through. His dry voice once again graced Exeter's ears, which was stained with a hint of calm.

"They're all machines designed for one thing: Destruction. This machine simply brings a different destructive power to use through its fists. In my beliefs, a power is irrelevant if it still works as intended. Now, despite your technological bias.."

Lanius took a moment to stare to the side, before he stared right back at Exeter. He took some steps closer, extending his right hand. His gaze was consistent with the rest of their time talking, and his breathing was relaxed.

"I will accept your terms to becoming an ally. If only to bring a symbiotic relationship between the Exeter and Welter houses. I shall bring the Beauchamp House an education in the power of both Orgone and Cytron, while getting them off of your back. And, in the process, I shall do what I must and defeat the duels that are arranged against me."

With that, Lanius showed a sign of humanity- The ends of his lips slowly curled their ways up, creating a smile that would rival a Cheshire Cat.
 

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#14
"Orgone is hardly infallible."

William pushed his glasses up with his index finger as he spoke, evidently getting more uncomfortable with every mention of the distinctly Lunarian power source... but as Lanius mentioned his agreement to the terms, he gave a nod. The son of Exeter reached to straighten his tie, it having been disturbed during all the clambering around as he continued:

"In recognition of our new alliance... I would be more than happy to provide a demonstration, if it would please you."

There was something of a scheming glimmer in those eyes. Neither the smile of Welter, nor the gaze of Exeter... were trustworthy ones. An alliance of convenience, and little more... But, thought William slyly, he would at least endeavor to make it an entertaining one.

"Consider it... Training for your coming bout."
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#15
The word 'demonstration' tripped a hidden alarm in Welter's head, driving a not-so-long restricted fury. He let his hands back down to his sides while he responded to the deal, staring dangerously into Exeter's eyes. His own pair gleamed with danger, and his smile began to become all the more wide as he slowly stepped back towards the Coustwell.

"If you desire battle.. You will get what you want, maybe even more. I'll be outside on the fields of moondust.. Waiting for you, of course."

Without a moment to listen or even think, Lanius hopped into an elevator frame near the scaffolding around Coustwell, and rode it up high after downright punching the control panel's comparatively small buttons. His gaze remained on Exeter, even as he slowly climbed and clambered his way across the scaffolding to the cockpit hatch. Eventually, he pressed a single button to hear the familiar hiss of the door before he swung inside and made a heel turn to land on the seat.

With that, Lanius closed the cockpit and watched Exeter through the crack in the door. Eventually, it had closed, and Lanius began to operate the controls. Immediately, the sound of gigantic machinery spiked through the hangar, as the gigantic pink machine began to walk towards a marked exit to its far left. Metal met metal, creating gigantic thuds and an individual quake each step which made the entire area shake.
 

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#16
William watched Lanius impassively as he left, giving little but a polite, if think-lipped smile as the Coustwell began to make its way out. He gave a small sigh and scratched his head, looking back the way he came, as he thumbed open a holographic screen on his personal terminal.

"Audrey, please send out the Saphiard." He said smoothly;

"Sir Lanister seems though he needs to be cut down to size."




Thirty odd minutes later, the Coustwell would have been greeted by a distant, glittering blue light as something came into view, cresting the Lunar horizon... something vast.

Its head tapered off in a single, bladed peak, beneath which sat an expressive, regal face that was the hallmark of the so-called Super Robot. Its hulking, pointed body was bedecked with heavy azure armor plates with gold trim, giving it an almost beetle-like appearance - but what defined its silhouette was the two large protrusions that jutted out from its back, like a pair of shields, that appeared to be some kind of wings.

The Saphiard pulled up across from the Coustwell with a roar of its Dimensional Energy thrusters, the incandescent energy only adding to its shimmering, gemstone-like appearance as it slowly descended, arms folded. It towered over the Orgon-powered Knight Machine at almost three times its height, cocking its head to look down at its punier cousin.

Within the cockpit, William pulled a glove tight over his hand with a satisfying snap, his own royal blue pilot suit matching the Special's décor. It was hard to deny he enjoyed the Saphiard's vastness in comparsion to most Lunarian machines

"So? What do you think?" He asked over the communications array;

"Are you certain you wish to challenge Exeter's guardian, Sir Lanister?"
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#17
Lanius' response was anything but shaky, as the Coustwell just stared up while floating around. As his voice got more and more excited, green jets of flame began to show on the fists of the pink machine while a single eye flashed into existence on the green visor.

"I'm more than ready to show you that I'm not just a killer. This machine, Coustwell.. WILL ORGONE SHOOT YOU TO BITS!"

The call-out preceded the Coustwell blasting off backwards, before quickly changing its course to racing across to the left of the machine. Lanius' eyes stuck around the machine's hands, attempting to decipher just what attack Exeter was about to pull out. As he surfed around Exeter's side, the Coustwell coated its fist in the same green energy and let loose a fist made of what looked like green crystal towards the hand unit.
 

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#18
William watched, with no small measure of amusement, as the plucky Coustwell ducked and weaved below him... As if, he thought, it would make any difference. As the purple boxer ducked to his left, the Saphiard turned with it, surprisingly swift as it did so, and minutely raised one of it arms.

Then, with sudden, terrifying speed, it swatted the left arm down and out, open palmed, the Orgone projectile shattering against its forearm armor, leaving a series of cracks along its surface - yet enduring the blow allowed him free reign to viciously swipe the Coustwell out of the air, as the right clenched into a fist. If it was fisticuffs he wanted... Well, who was the Lord of Exeter to deny such a request?
 
Dec 16, 2018
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#19
In a moment, the Coustwell and its pilot both focused. Observation was needed if they were this close to the gigantic machine, which they swiftly tried to apply.. Before the left hand flew in. With a reactive pull of the controls from the feeling of death gripping Lanius' throat, the Coustwell bounced upwards with a pulse of the thrusters before aiming a punch at the damaged wrist armor.

"ORGONE! SLAAAAASH!"
 

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#20
The Coustwell's blow struck into the back of the swiping arm with a spray of emerald energy, shattering the gleaming exterior and exposing the whirring mechanical insides. However... the triumph was far from free, as the Sapphiard's remaining arm seized a gleaming blade from its hip, the weapon jutting out of its holster as William grit his teeth in aggravation.

Orgone energy! He thought; Scourge of Luna!

One of the Glitter Blades slashed out horizontally at the Coustwell. Though comparably small to the Special, and almost little more than a backup weapon, it was also one of its swiftest responses - and to something the size of Lanius' machine, more than enough to cause serious harm.