Fantasy Stellar ARMOR Satellizer (Ranix Aurus & Admiral19)

[Admiral19]

Kanae turned to look at Shouji, surprise over her face. "Really? Oooh, that's good to hear!" Within moments, it was like Kanae already knew exactly what to say. "How about this, then. We'll reintroduce ourselves properly. Get all of us on the right foot! I'll start."

With that, Kanae stood back and gave a respectful bow of greeting. "Hello again, Shouji! Saitou Kanae, very nice to meet you! Can't wait to try and get to know you a little more!"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Shouji let out a grunt, as if looking down at her childish attempt at socializing, to Hotaru's anger. However, he couldn't stay calm against those eyes. They were too similar to Aisuke, the kind that you couldn't ignore no matter how you feel about them.

Curse this family... they seemed to be his bane of existence!

"Shouji. Kuzuki Shouji. N-n-nice to m-meet you," He mumbled his name before stuttering. Argh, this was embarrassing! He looked away to avoid eye contact.

 

[Admiral19]

"Good to meet you!" Kanae put one hand on Hotaru's shoulder and another on Akira's shoulder. "Alright, now you two go! I promise he's not gonna bite!"

Well, that was debatable, and Kanae was ready to step in if that indeed does happen.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The two of them looked at Kanae with blatant objection, then turned their gaze to Shouji, their face pulled up like they were looking at a nasty pile of trash. To be fair, Shouji's look wasn't that great either. It seemed that Kanae was the only one with a smile in this entire disaster of a group.

"Tanaka... Akira..." the boy slurred his voice. Hotaru didn't even say anything, so he did it in her place. "My sister. Tanaka Hotaru."

Introduction well done... maybe?

 

[Admiral19]

"Good start, good start!" God, Kanae was going about this like a camp counselor. "So, Shouji, let me tell you about something." Almost immediately, Kanae went to jump into a story. This was the easiest way she could think of getting people to ease themselves up; telling them stuff about her life. It worked a lot for Akira and Hotaru, so maybe...

"Me and the siblings went to an aquarium, right? And there was this dolphin show. The dolphin was very cute, but what was better was how hard Akira was trying to shield us from the water splashing everywhere! He was practically jumping in front of us! We had to get him a new shirt from the stall!"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Hotaru remembered their small escapade in the aquarium, her mouth lifting up into a smile as she reminisce about it. Mostly about Kanae, though. Her brother was conveniently shoved aside in her memory.

When Shouji heard what Kanae had just said, he stared at Akira, his mouth agape, with a judging stare that burned so deep the latter had to cough.

Bro, you're simping so hard, his wordless gaze seemed to convey to him.

Fuck. Off. Akira glared back at him with a snarl.

Yep, it just made things worse... Hotaru was content with watching the show unfolding by the sideline.

 

[Admiral19]

"Ah, there was also this time when the three of us were younger..." Kanae, somehow ignorant to Akira's seething, kept going. "Akira and I helped Hotaru get this bear from a claw machine. When I tell you her smile was worth every yen coin we put in that thing, oh, man! I'd like to think that letting me get that big old penguin from the aquarium gift shop was repayment, but even if it wasn't, I will not complain in the slightest."

Kanae excitedly brought out her phone, showing off a picture of the massive penguin toy. "Y'see?! Thing was the size of my torso! It's so cute!"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Hotaru shivered when Kanae suddenly brought her along into the battlefield. She wasn't part of this conversation! She shyly buried her face in Kanae's arm.

Shouji on the other hand was staring at the picture with a strange look. The edge in his voice had softened a bit, what came out instead felt like he was choking.

"...That's nice."

He couldn't understand. Where could he find a "friend" that would bring him to goof around? Claw machine, aquarium, plushies, going out... it was all a foreign concept to him. He suddenly remembered about Rui. That kid... among the colleagues in Aesir, Rui seemed to be the only person who had reached out to him. Whether it was for good or bad intention was up for debate, but at the very least, they had tried.

 

[Admiral19]

"Mhm! If you want, I'd be down to take you to an arcade or something once we get back to Japan! Maybe if we're skilled enough, we can get you something, Shouji!" It'd be a trek, considering how much she and Akira spent just to get a measly bear for Hotaru, but goddammit, was she gonna try! "I can try to get one for Akira too, and then we're all gonna have plush buddies!"

God, Kanae sounded kinda childish...but perhaps that was part of her charm.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

He instinctively wanted to retort, but a small part of him had stopped him on his track.

"...Do whatever you want," in the end, he mumbled those words before backing away from the three. Akira glanced at him for a moment before turning away.

Back to trailing Aisuke, he avoided eye contact with him before he grumbled out his grievance.

"...I can't do it. Your daughter is too... bright, for me."

 

[Admiral19]

Kanae dejectedly watched him go back. "Huh. You think I said something wrong?" Probably not. Maybe, Kanae wondered, Shouji just wasn't used to the sort of attention she was giving him.

Aisuke was watching the events unfold, grinning especially at how his daughter managed the group. Nothing terrible happened, which was good. But...

He chuckled as Shouji returned and expressed his woes. "Yes, she can be like that sometimes. But, well...when you've been alone for a while, you start doing what you can to make sure no one else feels lonely. In that regard, she really, truly cares for your wellbeing."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"Don't worry about him," Akira replied. "He would turn around sooner or later."

Just like how she had turned his and Hotaru's life around.

"Let's go get that medallion. There's no telling when those guys will show up again."

He still remembered how strong Aoi was when he finally faced her real. So that was what Kanae was dealing with all this time. He wondered if Gemini... was enough for it.

 

[Admiral19]

By the time the Ex-OLYMPUS team was on their way to retrieve Aries, Aesir's Holders had touched down in Michigan, looking to add Pisces to their belt. Rui had said that they would be meeting the team to pass off a package before sending a photo of two massive boxes. Those must be their monsters.

In between taxi rides to the home of the fisherman that currently held Pisces, Rui was sending Aoi occasional messages detailing the progress on the Kaiserin's building project as well as constant check-ins...quite like Rui to do that.

But even then...it seemed like they've been messaging her and Aina a lot more frequently than normal, about things not even related to the project. Were they trying to distract themselves?

"Haru," Aoi started, "what do you make of Rui, hm? I know you don't really care for most people who aren't Alfred, but..."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

Haru was sitting with her eyes closed with Youmo standing obediently behind her like a guardian angel. When Aoi suddenly asked her about Rui, she didn't seem to show any interest in answering before finally relented.

"Rui is fine. My Lord said that they would be useful."

Classic Alfred, viewing people based on their value on the chessboard...

Haru had surprisingly showed little grudge toward Rui after they previous scuffle. It might also be that she didn't pay much attention to them after all. On the other hand, she was a bit disturbed from the mission that Alfred had given to her. Whether she could pull it off or not... might be up to fate.

 

[Admiral19]

Aoi didn't know what she expected. She herself didn't have much to say about Rui, but at the very least, she recognized their loyalty. She sometimes wondered if Rui was too loyal, basically sucking up to everyone above them. There was nothing valiant about that, no matter who it was someone served.

i found pisces' location. i'll see you all shortly.

The message popped up on Aoi's phone first. Good, that probably meant Rui got there first.

---

"Sir, I know you want to keep your little trinket, but me and my friends are gonna need it."

Rui was busy placating this stubborn old fisherman, who refused to give up Pisces no matter how much they offered him. He was ornery and loud, a very terrible combination if he wanted to keep what remaining teeth he had left.

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"I told ya that I'm not givin' it up!" The old man slammed his walking stick on the wooden floor animatedly as he spoke. "I got it from mah wife, and there's nothin' you can do to take it from me! Now scram!"

He seemed adamant to keep the medallion, no matter what happened.

 

[Admiral19]

"Sir..." Rui really didn't want to have to fight an old man for this medallion, but they couldn't leave without it either.

The front door opened, and Aina, Aoi, and the monsters trailing behind them came into the fisherman's shack. "Rui, how goes it?" Aina looked about the shack for where he might have put the medallion, so far having no luck.

"It's difficult...he's being really stubborn with me. Won't tell me where the medallion is."

"Then we'll find it." She nodded to Haru and Youmo. "Start searching."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"Fine, fine..." Haru shrugged before she whispered something to Youmo. The "man" twitched once, and then dashed to the second floor without regard to the owner of the house. Haru began ransacking through the cabinets as well, looking for anything that resembled the medallion.

"Hey, what are ya doin'!?!?" The old man noticed what they were doing and rushed over to stop her.

 

[Admiral19]

Aoi followed Haru and Youmo up to the second floor, with Aina scouring the ground level for what they were looking for.

Aoi got in between the old man and Haru, a kind, yet menacing smile on her face. "I'd back off if I were you. We were trying to be civil, sir, but you had to go and make things difficult for us. I'd like you to know that, if we have to, I would have no qualms against putting your ancient ass on the ground."

 

[Ranix Aurus]

The old man spit at Aoi, showing defiance to the very end.

"That how you want to play this game, eh? Fine! You want that medallion? Over my dead body!"

He threw his walking stick at Aoi before rushing to the back of the shack. He then pulled out a shotgun from under a desk, aiming the muzzle at the woman.

"Get out of mah house! I'm not afraid to make a mess!"

 

[Admiral19]

Aoi wanted to laugh, she really did. Some might call it cockiness, staring headlong down the barrels of a shotgun, but Aoi simply called it knowing what you could handle. "Suit, up."

With that, Aoi stared down at the man, dark blue ARMOR reflecting the shine coming in through the windows. "Sir, you are pointing a gun to an emissary of the Kaiserin, covered in an armor that can withstand shockwaves. Do you believe yourself that strong? Does human folly extend that far for you, sir?"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"What... what are you...?!"

The old man had lived for a long time, but it was the first time for him to feel such an unbearable pressure. His hands trembled involuntarily. He knew by instinct that Aoi wasn't posing; such was the sheer intensity given off by the ARMOR.

"Found it."

Haru's voice came from behind Aoi's back. On her hand was a medallion with the symbol of Pisces carved on it. However, she didn't sound happy. Her fingers snapped shut, and with that, the "medallion" was crushed into a small piece of metal.

"...It's fake."

The real medallions could even withstand an explosion. There was no way that her strength alone could even leave a scratch on them.

"Tch, it has come to this!"

The old man clenched his teeth. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, causing the muzzle of his gun to spew hot lead.

 

[Admiral19]

The spray of lead fired from the shotgun...and the pieces dug shallow holes into Aoi's armor.

Without acknowledging the man, Aoi looked over at Haru, clicking her tongue when she showed that the medallion was indeed fake. "Either Calico intentionally sent us on a goose chase, or the infuriating scientist who scattered these knew that we'd come up here to search."

She turned back to the old man for a brief second before grabbing him by the neck and holding him at arm's length, trying to squeeze the life out of him.

"You do know where the real one is, right? Of course you do! Can you tell us before your throat collapses?"

 

[Ranix Aurus]

"Ach-!"

He couldn't breath. The shotgun fell to the floor as he tried to loosen the grip on his neck, but it was futile. He could sense that Death was slowly approaching him, but he didn't show any fear of it. Instead, he looked straight at Aoi with a deviant grin and silently mouthed out.

Eat. Shit.

He then threw a punch at her arm, a last ditch attempt to fight against her.

 

[Admiral19]

The man's punch would never connect; in the seconds after he mouthed his final words, Aoi grabbed the man's neck with both hands and squeezed, feeling him struggle and kick before he eventually fell limp.

When she was sure that the man's body was still, Aoi tossed him aside. "We're moving on. If we waste time trying to find it here, those infernal researchers will have them all long after we get it. Where's the next closest location?"