[RP] Justice Riders: Planetary Defenders! ==INVASION==

[gotMLK7]

The Beach

Gohra glared at Hayate as he stripped his shirt off, before snickering to himself. "You remind me too much of myself...That bold-faced determination"

His amused grin turned into a full-blown hysterical laugh.

"BAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! VERY GOOD! VERY GOOD, INDEED, HAYATE KAWAGUCHIIII! THIS CONVICTION! THIS BRAVERY! THIS THRILL OF THE FIGHT...!"

He rose his fists once again.

"THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOOOOOOR!"

The giant of a man charged forth towards Hayate once again. Once he was in range, Gohra began sending a flurry of lighter, quicker punches towards Hayate from each angle.

"IT HAS TRULY BEEN AN HONOR, HAYATEEEEEEE!!!"

[lazyplague]

The Beach

Hayate endured Gohra's jabs, and pushed forward, opting for one, strong punch to push Gohra's momentum back. Unlike before, he wasn't powered by a monstrous desire to win, for justice or whatever, he just wanted to show Gohra what he was truly made of.

"Gohra-san! I'll make you proud! Even if I can't win, I'll bring you to your knees!" and with every muscle in his body, Hayate reeled his fist back, and smashed his fist right into Gohra's stomach.

[gotMLK7]

The Beach

"Gfhaa-!"

Gohra spat out some blood at the unexpected gut punch. However, he was quick to regain his grin.

"You hit harder than you look!" He reeled back his fist for a heavier punch. "But not as hard as MEEEEE!" He returned the favor with a punch to Hayate's chest.

[lazyplague]

The Beach

Hayate smirked upon seeing his impact, and then was immediately toppled over by the raw power of Gohra's strength. He fell into the sand, and let out a groan followed by a meek laugh.

And then, "That's not enough to take me down! ... Cough!" He yelled as ferociously as he could.

He stumbled back up, wheezing in the process, while trying to look tough. He charged back at Gohra, and swung recklessly back at Gohra's chest.

[gotMLK7]

The Beach

The fire of combat shone brightly in Gohra's eyes.

"Then stay on your FEEEEEEEEET!"

Gohra sent a rapid jab back towards Hayate's fist - rather than dodging to counter, he seemed intent on a clash.

[lazyplague]

The beach

Hayate, instead of pulling back, or clashing back, lunged forward, and pulled his other arm back. He swung his torso around, and shifted his momentum and swung a quick smash right into Gohra's side.

[gotMLK7]

The Beach

Gohra's legs wobbled a bit under the force of Hayate's strike. Whether it was the exhaustion of battle or the wear of age finally catching up to him, he was losing his energy. However, he stood firm once again. He seemed to be no longer interested in dodging strikes. Gohra sent another flurry of rapid jabs towards Hayate, determined to keep on his feet.

The missiles were no longer gleams in the sky - they were perfectly visible, and only gaining speed.

[lazyplague]

The Beach

Hayate could tell Gohra was weakening, but it wasn't really an unfair advantage. Hayate wasn't anywhere near battle-ready either. They were both exhausted, only carried by the pure determination of their emotions. Hayate decided to indulge Gohra in a battle of pure speedy jabs, finally.

He turned to his side, and let out lightning fast jabs with his right arm, and weaved around what punches he could-- Of course, that was still hard, and he got knocked back by one or two a bit. But they were just jabs, nothing that could break any decent fist-fighter.

[GuardianDreamer]

Justice HQ

There was a gentle sort of panic enveloping Charlotte as she got into her Zord. That seemed entirely contradictory and nonsensical, and yet it was the best way she could describe her own feelings. When Charlotte prepared for battle, it was almost always with the expectation that the stakes weren't that high, or if they were, then she could pretend that the stakes meant far less to her than they actually did. Her heart was beating faster. If she died before even getting into battle, that would have felt like a comparatively normal outcome to her. The rules of her own reality and the rules of war just didn't mix. Yes, she was going to war, wasn't she? She could dress it up however she wanted to, but it seemed absurd to her. It was the type of nonsense that could only be called reality. To her, it would have made more sense if she died before any battles even commenced. More sense than the Amber Rider taking part in a war, at least.

She thought about how minor her own role in all of this felt. Yes, she had gotten involved in certain important fights that she had no business being a part of before, but there was always the guarantee that she could just run away. That she could drop out before things got too serious. But now that option eluded her. It felt unnatural to take on this role, but despite her own internal struggles, she definitely didn't want to die. That was just her own instincts. But she also didn't want everyone else's hopes to go to waste. ... Yes, maybe it was around the time that Prim had given her extremely important and sensitive information. That was when she lost her chance to avoid playing a major part in all of this. If she had run then, it would have been on her conscience forever. Fickle was a harsh yet fair way of describing her, but that all seemed so meaningless when the stakes were as high as they were.

Charlotte wasn't really upset at Prim. No, she was upset at reality itself. ... That was how she would interpret all of this. Reality had gotten too absurd even for her, and it was her role to try to fix things. To achieve the happy ending that she wanted to see, so her own low-stakes role could be resumed. It was selfish, but it was honest. Though there was also the question if she could even resume her role after all of this. If they all managed the best possible outcome... Well, there would still be a lot of work to do afterwards. Best to leave that for the future version of herself to worry about and trust that she would know what she was doing.

She laughed, different from the laugh that usually came out of her. It was all nonsense. But if she still had it in her to believe in happy endings, then she at least knew that some part of her old self would never change. That was enough to spur her on.

"... Let's end things the best way we can. A happy ending and an applause... Is that too much to ask for?"

Charlotte flew off in her own Zord, following Kenshin's example.

[Trybien]

Justice Riders HQ

As if he were a Zombie, Kiko slipped from his bed and out of the Med Bay. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot... Each step he took lacked any real meaning. There was no destination in mind whilst his body wandered about the HQ on auto-pilot. Searching for purpose might be one way to describe the current state Delicate Winter Melon; however, Kiko had already given up on the possibility that he could ever be a net-positive in this world.

Justice Riders HQ - Hangar

Eventually, he found himself in the Zord Hangar. To be frank, Kiko had no idea where he was. This was the first time he ventured to this sector of the headquarters; however, he was not particularly aware of where he had meandered. Perhaps subconsciously, he was aware of the likelihood of him injuring himself as he wandered carelessly, or maybe he secretly desired to meet his untimely end from a misplaced step. All it would take for a serious injury would be one wrong foot placement calling him to fall and hit his head on something sharp or blunt... No, Kiko wasn't suicidal. Despite the horrendous thoughts ensnaring his brain, Kiko would rather set things right. Even though he believed there was no path for redemption, his shame was the weight of a million chains. Dragging his feet forward, Kiko knew one thing: the freedom of death was no punishment. He had not earned the right to die. He would earn no honour through ending his life...

But how do I move forward... how do I redeem myself... Kiko looks at his morpher with eyes that are lost in a sea of heartache. "What right do I have to continue as a Justice Rider? I am a coward and a failure. I ran away from the fight, while others were losing their lives. Hiding behind my own ego, I allowed other, more qualified riders to lose their lives... I have no right to be sorry..."

[gotMLK7]

The Beach

Gohra didn't bother to dodge Hayate's jabs - he couldn't even if he tried. The size difference made it impossible at this range. Gohra merely accepted the jabs, realizing that a thousand cuts were as dangerous as any sword. Hayate could avoid attacks, but they hit harder. Gohra couldn't dodge, but he had a stronger defense.

An even fight.

Gohra grinned through the damage. "Show me, Hayate Kawaguchi!" His jabs got faster, and harder. His fists were practically flying into a blur. "SHOW ME THE HONOR OF THE HUMAN RAAAAAAAAAACE!"

Three minutes.

[The Ash Raichu]

Med Bay - Soul:

Soul placed the fifth cup back on the stand beside her, feeling... marginally better than before. Her body still tingled all over from the various impacts, though it seemed like her cheek had scabbed over and stopped bleeding. So that was a positive, she supposed. It still hurt to the touch, especially with the ice pack that was supposed to get the rest of the swelling down... Really. An ice pack. In a place of technological marvel like this? Soul supposed she should've counted her blessings that the Amethyst Suit held her together enough that no bones were broken... especially considering who she was fighting. But she couldn't help feeling like she was back at elementary school, as opposed to a planetary military force, if she was being treated with an ice pack of all things. The cruel coincidence of it all hit her like a hard punch to the face.

...Setting it back on the wound, she had realized that simile was perhaps a bit more literal than she would've liked it to be.

She picked up the sixth cup of water... that buffoon really thought he was doing her favors, huh? Perhaps he was... but Soul didn't want to think about it. His words kept ringing in her mind the longer she stared. Some Catch 22. She knew she wanted out. More than anything else in the entire world, she wanted out of this lousy place. What she wouldn't give to walk right out that door, maybe move to another city so she'd never have to hear the name "Justice Riders" again.

Ha. As if she could afford that. She was just some high school student with no income. A high school student with the entire rest of her life in front of her... Oh no. She knew she couldn't start thinking like that. She knew she couldn't actually consider fighting for just a bit longer. She knew that this wasn't worth laying her life on the line. There's no way it could be. The only reason she hadn't gotten up yet was because the pain kept surging through her muscles when she tried to move. That was it. But... was her life worth giving up because she didn't help out when she should've?

She tried not to think about that.

She tried not to think about her life choices that lead up to this moment.

She tried not to think about how the word "Amethyst" sounded a lot like the word "Accident," if you didn't think about it too hard. That was what she was as far as she was concerned. The Accidental Rider. Just like how she might've accidentally enjoyed her battle with that oaf more than she thought she did. She didn't know if it was for "justice," or out of spite, but she desperately wanted to punch him again. Was Mr. Kanorath right all this time? Did she have the passion of a warrior like he was saying?

She tried not to think about that.

In her peripheral vision, Soul saw Mr... she struggled to remember his name, but she recognized him... stumble out of the Med Bay. Her first thought was to question what on earth he was doing. He didn't look well. He wasn't acting well. She wasn't even sure why she cared. She tried to convince herself that she didn't. She had no reason to, right? She hated this place. She was certain that as soon as she was comfortable moving again, she would be out of this place faster than... Oh, for Pete's sake, she needed to stop thinking.

Zord Hangar - Ray:

"...Huh. Wasn't expecting it to look like that." Ray paused for a moment in front of his Zord. The Fuchsia Anemozord was bulky. Very bulky. There was a large window in front to see out of, and all across the mech were lines upon lines of cannon-tendrils. At least, that's what they looked like. Ray couldn't be certain of their functionality from outside the Zord. He was hoping for something a bit more... badass... than a giant sea anemone, but hey. Better than nothing. He couldn't be focused on that though. Not with the weight on his consciousness of the meaning of having to resort to a Zord. This wasn't the time for wanting to have a badass mech. This was the time for taking the mech and making it badass.

...Oh. That new kid just wandered in, badmouthing himself. Or something? It was edgy. And edge was the last thing the Riders needed right now. Fuchsia put a hand on DWM's shoulder. "Hey kid. That's enough of that, alright? That destructive mindset isn't gonna do good things to you in combat. So can we reschedule the pity-party until after all this blows over? Thanks, bud." He didn't wait for a response before manning the Anemozord.

"Fuchsia Rider, ready to roll whenever you are!"

[lazyplague]

The Beach

Hayate felt like he had to think up a way around Gohra's fists, as he dodged a jab that flew straight past his face. His glasses had broken at some point, so there was just a big crack in his vision.

Hayate leaned forward, and ducked under a punch. He aimed a curved punch at Gohra's side.

[Trybien]

Fuchsia's short pep talk was sort of effective? Perhaps it wasn't exactly what Kiko needed to hear. This pain and torment would no subside with words alone. A healing process would need to take place before Kiko could even dream about entering catharsis, but Ray hit a nerve inside of Kiko. No matter what his intentions were, the Delicate Winter Melon rider's immediate reaction was a slight eruption of anger.

"How could you be so insensitive. You have no idea what I am going through..."

The harsh indictment that droned out of his mouth only made Kiko more upset. How could I say that. I don't know what he's been through. Other riders probably went through worse. I know I am the insensitive one here...

Before Kiko could muster up an apology, Ray was gone. Perhaps he didn't hear anything and Kiko's embarrassment was for naught. Before he new it, he spotted Fuchsia enter the Anemozord. Kiko had to make sure Fuchsia didn't actually hear him. He needed to know that he didn't actually hurt the man who tried to cheer him up. Overwhelmed with guilt, Kiko rushed through hangar searching for a zord he could use to chase after the Anemozord. He nearly lost hope whilst rushing through the colorful arrangement of animal-like mechs when he found the one that matched his color... the Melon Monarchzord. Giving himself little time to think, the Delicate Winter Melon rider took out his morpher and transformed into his rider form. Surrounded by light, white boots and gloves slid onto his hands and feet. A greenish color spread from them covering him up to his neck. As the thrusters attached to both legs, the helmet formed on his head. Finally, the visor closed over his face and white and black circles appeared around his suit to end the transformation.

Kiko felt sick to be back in the costume he was wearing when his master died. But he had to push forward. This little bit of purpose he was given drove the Delicate Winter Melon rider in a direction that he was unsure of where it would take him. But he had no choice. The overwhelming need to confront Fuchsia and apologize... Thinking of Fuchsia led him to think of Crimson. Crimson was doing his job, but he was an indignant fool. While these feelings of self-loathing may still radiate within him... the one thing Kiko couldn't forgive himself was dishonoring his master's memory. Entering the Monarchzord, Kiko new he was going to be thrust into another conflict... but he knew it was okay. Despite the physical and mental trauma, putting himself in danger was of no concern. All Kiko wanted to do was to make amends with those he disappointed.

"Delicate Winter Melon Rider, ready to set things right."

[gotMLK7]

Streets of Kyoto - The Zords

The Zords flew out of the HQ, one by one. The Platinum Ramzord, the Razzmatazz Molezord, the Amber Swanzord, the Fuchsia Anemozord, the Melon Monarchzord, and more followed Kenshin's Crimson Phoenizord out from the Zord Hangar and into the streets of Kyoto, just outside the school. Kenshin looked into the distance through his Zord's screens.

"Just as expected, they're coming in hot," Kenshin said, spotting the missiles along the distant shoreline.

Wakana Ichirou's voice came in over the radio for all the available Riders to hear. "Missiles are heading this way from the nearest shoreline. Stats are saying it'll be about 3 minutes to get here."

"Alright, Riders!" Kenshin shouted over his radio for them. "We've got no time to lose! Let's combine into as many Megazords as we can muster, and we'll-!"

Kenshin's message was cut off by the sound of a nearby voice.


"AHEM! AHEM! TESTING, ONE, TWO, TESTING! DO YOU ALL HEAR ME, JUSTICE JEEEEERKS?!"

On the top of a nearby building stood a familiar face. Choppy red hair that fell over one shoulder, a tight black combat suit with red gloves and boots, and a chunky, heavy sword sheathed into a large box-like sheath strapped to the back of her belt. She was holding a megaphone, and her sharp grin was going ear to ear.

"Sevaline Oleander..." Kenshin said, partially to himself and partially to the others. "Head General and Princess of the Kalcion Armada..."

Sevaline snickered before shouting into the megaphone again. "Ooooh, so you remember me, Crimson Clod? I'm soooo flattered! So this is your base, huh?" She looked over the school that the Zords had just emerged from. "Gotta say, I'm disappointed! Looked a lot spiffier on the inside back when you captured me, y'know! I hoped for something with a little more flair!"

GiGi burst in on the conversation from the Ramzord. "What are you doing here?! I hope you don't hold yourself so highly you think you can defeat our Zords single-handed!"

Sevaline scoffed and shrugged. "Oh hell no! What am I, an idiot? I just figured that if you're in suuuuch a big rush..."

From all the buildings surrounding the Zords, the sound of whirring metal echoed out. Metal legs and metal arms began peeking from around their corners. Finally, they emerged: Kalcion mechs, smaller than the Zords but greater in number, easily tripling the amount the JR currently had out of the Hangar. They bore a passing resemblance to the mechs that the Generals had previously employed a few days prior, but were looked less complex in exchange for mass productibility. Each was armed with a turret on their right hands and a laser blade on their right. They surrounded the Zords by spreading throughout the streets, but held their ground, as Sevaline finished her thought.

"...I figured I'd KILL SOME OF YOUR TIME!"


Kenshin swore under his breath. "Dammit, we don't have time for a big brawl...the missiles will pass us by if we let this distract us. We've only got a couple minutes left...but no doubt they'll swarm us if we try to just pass them by." He turned to his radio and sent out a message to the others. "This is grim, but not hopeless. Anybody have a plan?"

Spoiler : Kalcion Mech Reference :

For those absent or don't recall, the Kalcion Mechs appeared before in the form of the V-Models. Gohra, Vallick, and Rorush, three Generals, were armed with Mechs that could combat the Zords while also capable of sending out wireless signals that messed up the Zords' systems (and other robotics, like GiGi) and shut them down. The Mechs y'all are surrounded by are mass-produced versions of these robots, without the disruptor signals.

Here's a very old drawing reference to help:

The cockpit has thick, dark glass that you can vaguely see the pilot through, who is arm-crossed and surrounded by digital screens.

Spoiler : Player Summaries? :

Hey, so something I wanna address: Since we have a lot of characters returning from different points of time with very different plots, can we get some short character summaries for the sake of others? It'll make interaction easier to follow if we can have short summaries of the different active characters gathered in one place. I'll also try to summarize the current plot and NPCs (there's a notably long in-character summary of events leading up to the current Invasion on page 171 that can be referenced if you don't mind a rather lengthy read, as well) for ease of following. Feel free to post summaries here or in Discord and I'll compile them for ease.

----

The Beach

Gohra spat out more blood in reaction to Hayate's punch. His barrage halted, and he started to take a few steps back. As he wiped his chin, he noticed the veins on his left arm starting to pulsate. Black smoke was starting to pour out of his wounds, including the scrapes on his knuckles, and his purple eyes were beginning to glow. The signs of the Titan Trigger.

"Damn...I really do put too much confidence into this body," he thought out loud. "I've been pushing it so hard this week, I barely noticed it falling apart..."

He gave a sad chuckle, but quickly entered a new stance. He dropped his left arm to his side, as it continued to pulsate. Instead, he rose his right arm, clenched it into a fist and pulled it behind him. It was shaking, and his breathing was heavy. Yet there was a look of sheer determination in his glare. He had positioned himself a couple meters away from Hayate, and kept his fist risen. He was approaching the last of his energy after a week of nonstop combat. He looked prepared to dash forward, to put all his might into his next charge.

But he waited for Hayate to make his move first. He looked his opponent directly in the eyes, and awaited his opponent's action, ready for whatever may come next.