Psybuster Ep. 2: Balcion

RTs work on clearing rubble when Psybuster shows up. Saphine orders the RTs to stop it, but Psybuster easily blows them away. The RTs return to DC HQ and Ken regrets not being there. Saphine tells him it would have been worse and that last time was a fluke. Ken wonders where Psybuster comes from and says they’ll have to capture it. Mizuki reminds him they aren’t in the army. Ken says they’re just garbage collectors and Izaki yells at them to get back to work. Saphine reports to Shu and tells him that “that machine” is ready. Shu says it hasn’t been tested and that Dr. Frank left them something interesting. Izaki enters and reports the injured and says he told the new recruits to clean a waste disposal area on their own. Shu wonders if they’ll be ok with the increase in Ozone. Izaki is confused and Saphine explains that Ozone is harmful to humans. Izaki says he told them not to leave their RTs and Saphine is shocked to hear where he sent them. Outside his RT, Ken muses that people threw away a lot back then. Lyune tells him to get back to work and Mizuki wonders about a box she found. She says it looks new but Ken reminds her that no one has been around in 20 years. He suggests she take it home if she likes it so much. She says she doesn’t want it and tosses it with the trashing being loaded onto a helicopter. The helicopter takes off and Ken wonders how many trips it will take to clean up the place. The helicopter flies away and is engulfed in a micro black hole. An investigation begins about the missing helicopter and Ryuzo says it’s similar to the Shinjuku incident. The new recruits run laps when Lyune collapses with a stomachache. The girls all offer to take her to the infirmary but Izaki tells them they aren’t getting off that easily. The girls shower after training and Lyune tells them to follow her and they get the guys. Lyune takes them to a hangar where she says the robot her father was working on is held. Lyune opens the door, revealing the Balcion. Saphine catches them but Lyune says they were just looking. Saphine says that even though Dr. Frank designed it, DC has been working on it for nine years, so even if Lyune is Dr. Frank’s daughter she needs permission to be there.

That night, the Balcion starts up and tries moving, but falls backwards. Ken sees Lyune running out of the hangar. Izaki and Saphine question the recruits and demand the culprit admit their guilt. Saphine says they have until the next day to confess or they’ll all be fired. The mechanics work on Balcion and are surprised to see it has grenade launchers. Ken confronts Lyune about what he saw and tells her he won’t rat her out, but he can’t stay quiet if she jeopardizes the others. Lyune asks him to be quiet, saying how she remembers her father working on the blueprints and that she was surprised that it had been finished. She adds that her father would want her to be the pilot and that she’ll hate Ken if he tells on her. The next day no one speaks up. Saphine is about to make good on her threat when Lyune speaks up, accusing Ken. Ken says he didn’t do it, but won’t say who did so Isaki fires him. Ken storms out and Mizuki chases after him. She says it isn’t like him and slaps him when he doesn’t reply. Shu says it’s odd Ken didn’t explain himself, especially since they already knew who did it because of the ID card. Shu gets a report that Psybuster has reappeared and says it’ll be a good chance to test the Balcion. Shu orders the new recruits to deploy. They object, saying they’re not a combat team but Saphine reminds them it’s their job to limit casualties. She adds the main objective of the mission is to test the Balcion. Lyune volunteers to pilot it. Mizuki and Nanase question her, but Lyune says she doesn’t want anyone else to pilot her father’s robot. Izaki asks the others if they’ll help too and they agree. They head off and Mizuki is surprised to see that Ken snuck in despite being fired. He says he wants to settle things with Psybuster. Saphine explains that the Balcion is controlled like an RT and reminds Lyune to retreat if anything goes wrong. Lyune fires but Psybuster just keeps walking. She keeps attacking but Psybuster blows her away. Psybuster is about to step on Balcion’s head when Ken and his RT grab its leg. Psybuster easily kicks him off and flies away. Lyune is surprised to see Ken and Izaki asks what he’s doing in Mizuku’s RT. On the helicopter, Mizuki figures she’ll be fired too. Lyune admits that she took the Balcion and apologizes to Ken. Shu says the DC needs honest people like that. Mizuki asks about Ken and Shu says Izaki was just bluffing to catch the culprit.