piers | 02. most love like hunters

We'll eradicate war. [Yeah, back to that. But that's part of who he is. Though he does add to that--] And we'll help bring about the reformation of humanity.

[Setsuna doesn't do anything by halves.]

[ Amuro closes his eyes, trying to lock in that statement. Though that need for remembrance disappears a second later. ]

You could probably do it. [ The 00 commands his attention again, the one suit present he knows nothing about and yet feels like he somehow gets. ] No, you won't stop until you do. Neither of you, for the sake of the world.

[ Amuro finally moves from the railing, past him--seemingly satisfied with that answer. Faintly, he tacks on: Not like him at all. ]

[Setsuna initially lets him float by silently, almost as if this conversation was over. But its not. Not yet anyway, as there's something Setsuna still needs to know.]

What about you?

[He turns to face Amuro, then pushes himself off the railing and follows him.]

What will you do now that you've changed?

[ The twin set of questions actually catches him off-guard, enough for him to plant his feet back on the catwalk. Amuro's answer is immediate, however. ]

I have my own fight to end. [ AKA stopping a genocidal maniac from blowing up the Earth ] If humanity is going to change, it can't be out of resentment for misguided revolutionaries.

[ And from being theoretically jettisoned into space. Either way, his answer is particularly final, resigned to something he doesn't quite have words for. Instead he kicks off again, motioning to the long-abandoned holopad. ]

Setsuna. I'd like to try out how the Psycoframe reacts to someone like you. [ He catches easily onto the chest unit of the Nu. ] Is there a name for it? If not a Newtype.

[There's a slight look at the mention of "misguided revolutionaries", but Setsuna doesn't comment on it. Especially not when he's essentially offered a chance to hop into the driver's seat of the Nu.

It takes him by surprise, enough that he's left momentarily flatfooted, and it shows on his face. He didn't think Amuro would make that kind of an offer. But after that initial moment of shock passes, his face settles into a serious expression again.]

Innovator.

[Its a response to his question, though its given after such a heavy silence that Amuro might not realize that, and Setsuna doesn't say anything else beyond that. Catching the railing, he kicks off of it and heading towards the cockpit of the Nu. He doesn't know what the psychoframe will do to him, but he doesn't seem to have any trepidation now that he's made up his mind to try it.]

[ Amuro catches it, but he figures if Setsuna doesn't linger on it, it's not worth pointing out in turn. Celestial Being and its Gundam Meisters may have been horrifically idealistic, but not disillusioned. When Amuro said he believed Setsuna may be capable of what he is not in all his single-minded determination, he meant it. ]

Innovator. [ He tries the word out and smiles a little roguishly. It sounds a little sharper than "Newtype". ] That's fitting.

[ The Nu's hatch remains ajar, the hulking behemoth of a white suit crawling with technicians. Amuro had sort of jumped the gun and taken it out straight off the chopping block ~~multiple times~~, so its downtime now sees constant tinkering. ]

The controls might not be a standard you're used to. [ Amuro kneels and takes a hold of the hatch, swinging himself down to the front of the cockpit. The inside is laced with wiring from testing equipment. ] But I'm sure you can manage.

[Its not like Setsuna hasn't done the same thing to the 00, jumpstarting it via nearly exploding it with Trans Am. He doesn't know whether or not he'll explode the psychoframe or not, though that doesn't stop him from swinging himself into the cockpit and taking a seat.

The controls were... different, to say the least. Certainly not what he was used to, ~~and lacking in both holographic keyboards and meister fairies,~~ but if it operated on some of the same basic principles, then he was certain he could figure it out. Only one thing left to do now...]

Power up the psychoframe.

[Nope, he does not waste time at all.]

No hesitation... [ Amuro mutters it to himself, partially amused. It's only out of respect that he doesn't offer up a training simulation first. ~~But let's keep the exploding to a minimum on their end, tex.~~ ]

All right! Put on the headset monitor behind you. It'll make it easier for the Psycoframe to pick up on your initial thoughtwaves. [ Well, if an Innovator was anything like a Newtype, anyway. A console set up on the catwalk outside the cockpit allows Amuro to analyze the functions of the Gundam. Inside, the monitor should be leaping to life, dropping the floor out from beneath Setsuna and replacing it with a full 360 panoramic view.

Also leaping to life are the millions of microscopic Psycommu receptors. ]

Roger that.

[Hesitation is for sissies. And for people who have a shred of common sense. Neither of those things describe Setsuna F. Seiei, particularly when he's in the cockpit of a Gundam. He puts on the headset, grabs hold of the controls and starts to concentrate. Its here where Amuro will probably notice the first major difference between Newtypes and Innovators, namely the whole glowing eye thing Setsuna has going while he kicks his quantum brainwaves into high gear.]

[ Amuro watches in fascination as the graphs spike and contort, looking like no other reading he's ever taken. He can feel the stirring, all the kinetics and energy channeled by the sensitivity of the Nu's Psycommu flow.

Strong. But not hostile.

The Nu was Amuro's reflection. A culmination of all his skill and experience since his encounter with the RX-78-2 and his emergence as a Newtype, designed by him down to the last bolt. But he'd never be finished learning about it, and in the spirit of exploration...

Initially he'd only intended to test how the Psycoframe would react. What he does is lean into the cockpit and motion as if he's going to retract the catwalk. ]

Want to launch?

[There's a steady stare from Setsuna to Amuro, which may or may not be him trying to figure out what Amuro is getting at. But after a few moments, he answers.]

Red haro!

[...and that's probably not the response Amuro was expecting, and given that Setsuna used the Nu's speakers to make that call, he probably wasn't expecting the answer to be so loud either. But it worked, as a few short moments later, there was a familiar sound of haro ping-ponging off of the other mobile suits as it made its way towards them.]

[ The metal beneath Amuro's feet reverberates with the sound of his voice. Enough to cause him to finally turn towards the rest of the hangar and the approach of the Haro instead of trying to figure out what exactly Setsuna's eyes were doing. ~~It's no more strange than glitter leaking out of your forehead, Amuro, stop being alarmed.~~ ]

Haro... he's come a long way. [ Even if their Earths were different, his was still much more like a toy. If not important to those who came into possession of him.

Amuro steps aside to give it a clear shot into the cockpit. ]

[To Celestial Being, haros weren't toys. They were invaluable assets in the field. The perpetually shorthanded crew of the Ptolemy leaned on them for support, and there's no way Setsuna would've been able to do anywhere near as good a repair job without them. Or else, there'd be lots of duct tape and we'd have the Terminat00R.

When the haro arrives, its flaps its ears to halt its momentum, then tilts its head to the side in an almost curious fashion as it notices Setsuna in the cockpit.]

We're heading out. Disengage repause, maintain particle dispersal, enter boarding mode and standby for launch. [A beat] He'll be with you.

[The haro looks at Amuro for a moment, then back to Setsuna, who was busy putting on his helmet.]

Roger that! Roger that!

[Well, Amuro, you wanted time with the 00...]

[ ~~We shall have to have a discussion about this duct tape thing, Setsuna.~~ Amuro steps back quizzically when the Haro remains next to him instead of joining Setsuna in the Nu like he'd originally thought. It takes a belated second to realize he's being told launch sequence orders.

Orders for... ]

That's fine. [ Amuro pulls the plug on the monitors tethering the Nu to the catwalk and backs away from the hatch. ] The Psycommu is very sensitive. The manual controls should compensate for that, but your thoughts will be responsible for its actions too. Got it?

[ Rather than wait for a confirmation (one he doesn't actually need), Amuro hits the docking switch for the catwalks, causing them to split down the middle and swing away from the Nu Gundam. Setsuna could handle the rest on his own, that he knows. He regards the red Haro as he hops up onto the railing to give himself a good kick towards the 00. It stands solitary in the docking bay: bright, streamlined white and blue. A suit that had his curiosity since day one, one that he was certain would never be sated. Once he's within in range, he catches hold of the 00's hatch and swings inside. ]

How about it, Haro? Going to help me out?

Roger! Roger!

[Though the haro doesn't follow Amuro into main cockpit; it rides shotgun in the 0 Raiser. Once its docked in place, the twin drives whir to life, and one after another, all of the 00's systems come on-line. Enjoy the 270 degree panoramic view, as well as the handful of screens, and all the information they contain.

Setsuna, meanwhile, was getting the hang of the Nu. The controls for basic movements were easy enough that he didn't have any trouble guiding himself to the elevator or settling on the launch catapult. Once he was finally cleared, his grip tightened and his eyes narrowed. Time to see what this suit can really do]

Nu Gundam: Setsuna F. Seiei, launching!

[ Following the Nu's launch and the 0 Raiser's docking, Amuro spends a few moments parsing the inside of the 00. How he'd love to get his hands dirty and really figure it out down to its alloys and tiniest circuits, but he doesn't linger on that urge long. The suit was smaller and more compact than his own, much like its cockpit, and the thrum of its particle generator echoes through his back and straight down into his bones. It's different than the Psycoframe which reacted directly to his thoughtwaves. This was constant resonance.

Pure instinct and Setsuna's directions break down the scope of the suit's operations as he loads it onto the launch catapult. To him, nothing was really out of the ordinary in its placement, functions aside. ]

Particle output stable, all systems clear... okay, Haro. Let's do it. [ He guns the levers. ]

Amuro Ray, 00 Raiser, heading out!

[ The Gs that accumulate as the suit rockets down the deck are familiar, but as soon as he's released into the void of space, the similarities end. ]

[The thrust is the thing he notices first. The loud roar and the heat from the engines, the g-forces slamming into his chest. This is far different than the cool smoothness of the GN drives. Its more like piloting a flag, really, with the finer movements not easy to control.

Not that Setsuna bothers to slow down. If anything, he seems hell bent on pushing the Nu to its limits, and speeds up, heading right towards a nearby field of resource satellites.]

[ Visuals are all Amuro has to go by with watching Setsuna's progress; he remembers that the 00's particle output jams comm lines, like Minovsky particles, but more fine-tuned. Even without the help of a sensor range, he can see the roar of blue light from the Nu's thrusters in the distance.

Amuro steadily increases the 00's speed, easing up only once and using a small pocket of lag time to suspend a single thought as Setsuna drives the Nu hard into the satellite field.

Visualize. The Gundam will do the rest.

That was the secret of the Psycoframe. Allowing the skill of the pilot to push past the limits of the machine. ]

[That's another place where their machines differ. The 00 was designed to help the pilot break the limits of humanity.

Setsuna, though is flying like he wants to break this machine. While one could argue whether or not Setsuna is one of the most skilled pilots, there is no debate about whether or not he's one of the most intense. For as cold as he is on the surface, something burns with a passion within him, and the psychoframe is only starting to get the full brunt of it. There's a ferocity in the way he flies, a wildness in his twists and turns that borders on out of control, but never actually is out of control.

Truthfully, he's just looking for answers, this is his interrogation. Something about this Gundam and this pilot has been pulling at him since their first encounter. He wants answers, and he knows only one way to get them. So after barreling around an asteroid at a speed that should've liquified his intestines, he and the Nu make a bee-line for the 00.]

What are you looking for... [ Amuro drives the 00 forward with a burst of speed and light, throwing it into a hard bank with the intent of flanking the Nu rather than remaining in its trajectory. He can't control it by thought alone, but the nature of its movement is so clean that his precision accounts for the rhythm of its nuances. The greater the speed, the more Amuro begins to feel as if the machine is molding itself to him like a second skin. A slower, more reactionary process.

The Nu, by contrast, looks like a monster in Setsuna's hands. Wild force made tangible by the strength of his will starting to resonate with the Psycoframe. One that Amuro still does not feel fear from, not so long as the 00's Twin Drives constantly feed raw kinetics into his head, opening up his senses to melt away the silence of space.

Amuro wheels the 00 to face him head on with binders flared; there is light emerging from the Nu's cockpit. ] What are you searching for, Setsuna!

[His response isn't verbal, its physical. There's a loud crash, the clang of metal on metal, as the Nu grabs hold of the 00. The engines roar, as does Setsuna himself, as he tries to drive the 00 backwards.]

[ The 00's sensor system barely has time to blare its collision warning at him before the Nu hits him like the 73 metric tons it is. Any lesser pilot would have had his insides scrambled by the velocity, but Amuro takes the brunt of it with gritted teeth, controls straining against his grip. A fan of GN particles bursts at the 00 Raiser's shoulders to accompany the squeal of metal on metal as he sets his position.

Amuro holds fast on the threshold between the two Gundams, a battle the last thing he'd expected between them. But instead of the intent to kill, he merely senses... scrutiny. Resolution.

In the wake of the blow, Amuro guns the thrusters and alters the trajectory of the 00, having the advantage of agility. Aiming to throw the Nu's balance askew and create an opening. ]

[No, there is no intent to kill. But when he told Amuro that he had to fight if he wanted the world to understand him, he wasn't being figurative. Talking was only going to get them so far, and there was a lot about being an Innovator and a Newtype that simply couldn't be put into words to begin with.]

Answers. [The word, the belated response to Amuro's question, seems to come from everywhere. Over the comms, in his head, in his bones.] We're looking for answers.

[Yes. We.

The Nu didn't have quite the ability to change direction the 00 did, so when its balance starts slipping, its dive becoming a spiral, Setsuna has little choice but to break away. He doesn't allow much distance, though, pulling out the wrist mounted beam saber (an idea that he needs to pass along to Ian) and closes back in, taking a swing at the 00. Have at thee, bro.]

[ Even without that incentive to survive long ingrained in his soul, Amuro feels the weight of Setsuna's words more than he actually hears them. An intense pressure bearing down on his mind and his body, one that says: Fight. Fight to live.

Not because his life is in danger, but because fighting now was the only way to understand what place there was in the world for those like them. One reality that he's never liked to face, now completely unavoidable.

The entire stance of the 00 Raiser shifts as Amuro whips a beam saber from the suit's recharge rack. In one deft swing he's blocked the incoming attack of the Nu with a blunt force that betrays the sleek agility of the 00. In the place of curiosity rises unfettered confidence behind the guise of the machine--no, behind the visage of Gundam. The beam sabers roar as they clash, spitting light and energy when Amuro grinds them into a parry, fending the Nu back. ]

[Good. He's starting to understand.

Its becoming a battle of wills; literally, almost, in the case of Setsuna and the Nu. He initially pushes forward, trying to overpower the 00 at first, but instead uses the proximity to kick the machine and knock it back. Not that the room would offer any sort of respite, as the beam saber is traded for the beam rifle, and Setsuna opens fire.]

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