Why are all of Malia's fetters empty? I was under the impression they'd start just below full. This changes a lot.

"Ah, this is easy! And here I thought this thing would actually be a threat."

> Soul cuddle Klimt and Rosa with all of my actions. Spine what's left.

BATTLE!





Malia instinctively notices the mental state of her newfound companions, and realises she has more important things to do than wail on the mech. Removing her fluffy snake mittens (what kind of jerk put them on her anyways?), she covertly points a finger at Rosa, and another at Klimt.


Klimt feels himself relaxing. He recalls worrying about something, just a moment before. What was that, again? He can't quite recall, but he's quite a bit calmer now.

Rosa's mind is suddenly a lot emptier. No rage, no righteous vengefulness towards the mechanical monster, not even registering the words Eigla was shouting at her. Just, a cold awareness of her own position, and the target's. She minutely adjusts the angle of her shoulder guns to account for the Valkyrie's erratic movement, and fires. The radome splits in two, and the mech's wings suddenly disconnect from its body. Just as predicted.


The Valkyrie seems to try and flee, jumping back from its position without even trying to attack. Despite all the damage, its boosters are still powerful enough to catapult the heavy vehicle across the air, landing several yards behind Rosa. At this rate, it's going to escape- !

SCREEEEEEEEECH - BOOM


The truck, driven by Peggy, careens through the road in a wide arc, drifting like there's no tomorrow, before slamming side-first onto the mech, stopping its movement. Emilia jumps off the passenger's seat, shoving a wrench into the Valkyrie's main turbine to stop it from dodging, allowing Eigla's tentacles to wrap around its legs.

Emilia: "ROSA, KILL IT!"

The gunslinger barely notices the shout, but her brain seems to automatically decide the correct course of action. She fires again and again at the broken cockpit, instinctively aiming for where the pilot's vitals would be located. Blood and metal fragments explode outwards in all directions, until the robot finally goes limp, and falls over onto its side. Black smoke rises from its dead engine, as the drizzle extinguishes the begginings of an oil fire.


Seems like, you did it. There should hopefully be plenty of useful components in the wreckage, if you're willing to stay in the rain to salvage it. In the distance, you see the indistinct form of the Pillar Man as it lumbers over the dead city.

Emilia runs over to hug Klimt, as Peggy gives a weak thumbs up from inside the truck. Curie pokes her head out of the cargo bay, looking rather motion sick.

EVENTS:


Rosa and Klimt worriedly check over Emilia. The Banshee sports a myriad of scrapes and bruises, and her guts are spilling out from a gash in her bodysuit, but she doesn't look too bothered, even ignoring the rain that streams along her long hair until Klimt gently leads her to the truck's cabin.

Emilia: "I am fine, it doesn't hurt too badly. What matters is that you are safe, Klimt.

...

Master, Klimt, I mean."

Peggy: "Hey, uh, a bit of help here? If, you're done saying how much you love one another?"

Indeed, the girl looks a bit worse for wear, her body impaled by countless metal and glass fragments. She grimaces and points at a particularly jagged chunk of steel embedded right in her eye socket.

Peggy: "I would pull it off myself, but I can't actually SEE it. And uh, the truck... I'll need a moment to look it over, hopefully with both eyes."


Malia takes the opportunity to go back to the cargo bay as inconspicuously as possible, walking by Curie, who's currently busy vomiting most of her lunch. After a few moments, the braingirl looks at her with barely hidden hostility.

Curie: "Unharmed, I see."



Rosa leads the search for parts amid the wreckage, with Eigla helping until the rain forces her to seek shelter beside the truck.

Most of the steel plating is far too thick and heavy to be of use, but there are still a few fragments that could come in handy. The remains of the pilot also supply you with a bit of biological material, even if most of it is riddled with bullets and partially rotted. You recover 4 Flesh, in total!

EVENTS:

Peggy smiles, but you notice her hands are shaking.

Peggy: "Oooh, it's no problem, I get it. It's all okay as long as we're all here in the end, right? Speaking of that, we didn't die forever there, did we? Haha, wow, right?

We're okay! Hahaha! Haha! Hooooo boy. HAHAHAHhahahaHAHAhahahAHhA."