AKASHI
This one's fun. It's fitted with electrical relays that allow you to—

IOWA picks up a turret casing made of a dully reflective silver metal.

IOWA
What about this one?

AKASHI
No, no, that's just a prototype.

IOWA
What's it made of?

AKASHI
Vibranium. It's stronger than steel and a third the weight. It's completely vibration-absorbent.

IOWA
How come it's not standard issue?

AKASHI
That's the rarest metal on Earth. What you're holding there? That's all we've got.

KONGOU walks in, her normally animated face strangely expressionless but for a faint tinge of annoyance.

KONGOU
Are you quite finished, Akashi? I'm sure Iowa has some unfinished business...

IOWA holds up the turret casing.

IOWA
What do you think?

KONGOU considers her coldly for a moment, then manifests her RIGGING. In the background, FAIRIES dive for cover. IOWA blinks in consternation, then ducks hastily behind the turret casing just in time to avoid having her face blown off by the broadside KONGOU unloads into it. The AP shells explode without penetrating, and the shrapnel falls to the floor in front of her in an oddly un-lively manner rather than scattering around the room and killing everybody.

When the firing stops, IOWA peeks around the casing to see KONGOU regarding her, her wooden expression unchanged, as smoke curls up from her gun barrels.

KONGOU
Yes. I think it works, desu.

She dismisses her RIGGING and leaves without another word. IOWA and AKASHI stand side by side and watch her go with identical dumbfounded looks. Still gazing after KONGOU, IOWA takes a note from her pocket and hands it to AKASHI, who similarly takes it without looking.

IOWA
I had some ideas about the uniform.

AKASHI
Whatever you want, babe.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.