Chapter Two: Into the Maelstrom

[Purr]

The steel here was cool and dry under Mario's hand. The control panel was, of course, low at Zentraedi-height and still out of his reach. Yet, as with the door, Mario did not have to reach with his hand. As his mind reached, he entered another trance-like state. Once again, he was receiving no help from the other side. He had to traverse into the unknown alone. The shaking of the earth above him, the mechanical stomping of the enormous Frankenmecha soon to be looming over him, and all other sensations fell away as he welcomed the blackness his closed eyes gave him.

This time, traversing out seemed much easier than it was but moments before. With no imaginings to impede him and with the lives of he and his fellows on the line, things did indeed seem easier. The trance came a little easier. Yet, behind it all was a faint sensation of... fatigue. This was travel after all. Mario realized then that these feelings would fade each time he tried to traverse. As with Professor Stein using his technopathy upon the Veritech Hover Tank at the Assembly, it was a matter of focus, experience, and something more... But what?

Time was part of it. Mario needed time for his mind to reach out, to traverse the unseen but felt.

Outside of Mario, Cpl. Booty continued to aim the barrel of his Mk. 25 upwards toward the opening of the pit. There, the glow of the burning sign and the fierce radiance of the Toma-tank's spotlight were bright. Despite the oncoming march of certain doom, Maximus Booty was as cool as a soldier could be given the dire circumstances. Hercules was near to him as was MechaKitten. The little feline with the golden glowing eyes did not look up but instead he was watching with an expression of the deepest cat-like curiosity.

The steps of the Toma-tank were coming closer and closer along with the many pairs of other mech-sized feet behind them. Then Hercules and Booty saw it - the foremost edge of the Toma-tank's foot, the "toes" if it had any, reaching the pit's edge. As it struck, dirt and stones by the hundreds, loosened from their perch high above and fell down, down into the pit. Safe inside their armor, the A.T..A.C. crew had nothing to fear from damage...

...except the incredibly-loud shattering sound of all of those stones and dirt suddenly striking the door they all stood upon!

KAAATAKAKAKAKAKAKSSSSSHHH!

Mario felt he was about halfway to reaching what he called the "Ghost in The Machine," when his concentration was partly blown as the ears and eyes of the young tanker virtually screamed at him to pay attention to the incoming danger. Small pebbles and stones and piles of dirt crashed upon all four of them. A cloud of brown and gray dust burst explosively. Mario felt his sensations and focus weakening. Time was not on his side! He strained hard to retain where he was in his traversing lest it be lost and him forced to start all over again.

MechaKitten saw this. And leaped.

"Mew!"

Those four little feet scurried across the dirty floor and to Mario's side. Mario sensed the kitten place his two front paws upon Mario's boot. MechaKitten closed his eyes...

Mario then saw the words in his mind's eye...

Hay! Door! Lissen!

Suddenly, Mario was there! Right where he needed to be! And so, the door replied.

I am closed and sealed as commanded.

MechaKitten opened his eyes and looked up at Mario. The young Italian, though his focus was rattled, knew what to do next.

*​

Shirley listened but there was no reply yet. Out of sight and now miles away, her part of the team was in the clear, but unable to help her fellow Wild Cards.

"Guys," she addressed Toph and Elinor. "I would think our dudes would have gotten in by now. Things are too quiet out there. Suggestions?"

 

[Sherwood]

Mario is silently grateful for Mechakitten's assistance, and makes a mental note to give it a fish treat when they get back to base. That little furball may have just saved our lives! Ok, door, time for a new command: OPEN! Open now!

 

[Psychie]

Shirley listened but there was no reply yet. Out of sight and now miles away, her part of the team was in the clear, but unable to help her fellow Wild Cards.

"Guys," she addressed Toph and Elinor. "I would think our dudes would have gotten in by now. Things are too quiet out there. Suggestions?"

Toph's hands were twitchy, wanting to do something instead of just sitting there, waiting. "Well, if we could get a line of sight on one of the scavs and laser designate a target, we could call for a artillery strike of either a Monster's shells or a Long Range Missile or two that we could guide in. It would be risky, since we would have to expose ourselves enough to get the line of sight for the laser, and if there was any splash damage, it would have to be a tight blast to keep from cooking our boys in the field there. Either that, or we try another buzz to get the attention of those Frankenmecha away from the ground pounders."

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor listened to the cryptic reactions and even more cryptic silence coming from the other half of their team. The Sesame Street had been funny, but things seemed be getting pretty tense over there. She nodded in response to Toph's suggestions. "If there's somethin' we can do to grab a bit of attention again, I'm all for it. I wouldn't want all of them after us, but we already know they can't keep up in a race. Maybe if we blow up a buildin' or two, an' offer a few choice words over the radio?"

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Hercules looked nervously back from the lip of the 'doorway' back to the pedestal that Mario was currently interfacing with.
"No hurry, Mario, but if you could get that door opened a bit quicker, I'd really appreciate it."
Meanwhile, he braced himself, hoisting his plasma caster up and sighting up on the bright lamp shining from the Toma-tank's shoulder. The radio crackled as he heard the air wing team speaking.
"Hercules here," he replied tersely, "We're through one door and trying to breach a second. Problem is we have the attention of one of the Scavenger mecha and he's calling his buddies. We're currently sitting geese."

 

[Purr]

Once again Mario saw words in his mind when the door replied.

Access granted.

Best door evar!

These last words, Mario knew, came from MechaKitten who promptly climbed upon the nearest friendly left shoulder, in this case, Mario, and made ready to move fast.

The floor trembled as if a MAC II Monster were trying to tap dance on it as the door beneath your feet separated into two neat halves. The grinding sound of working gears grumbled adding to the plethora of noises coming from above and all over.

"Yah mon!" Booty grinned and spoke to the T.A.S.C. squad. "We in! Mario did it!"

The bright light from the Toma-tank Frankenmecha began to fill the pit illuminating all things up to where the Wild Card A.T.A.C team was save for what was beyond the door Mario had just accessed - therein lay a black void, thick with mysteries as deep as any moonless night. As the massive superstructure with its tremendous thickness door slowly worked its way open, the grinding echoed weirdly down below as if the chamber beneath the Wild Cards' armored feet were vast indeed.

As the divide widened, there seemed to be but one way to go for the A.T.A.C. crew...

...down into the dark unknown...

*​

"Well, if we could get a line of sight on one of the scavs and laser designate a target, we could call for a artillery strike of either a Monster's shells or a Long Range Missile or two that we could guide in. It would be risky, since we would have to expose ourselves enough to get the line of sight for the laser, and if there was any splash damage, it would have to be a tight blast to keep from cooking our boys in the field there. Either that, or we try another buzz to get the attention of those Frankenmecha away from the ground pounders."

Shirley's response came only after serious thought, then her black hair shook. "Naaaah, no go down that road. Remember what Colonel Sharp said? We risk not only destroying Mario, Herc, and Booty, but the very tanks we're after. Buzzing's also out of the question - they're aware of us now and with eight of them, we stand a good chance of losing one or all of us - especially given the range they seem to have and our total lack of cover."

"If there's somethin' we can do to grab a bit of attention again, I'm all for it. I wouldn't want all of them after us, but we already know they can't keep up in a race. Maybe if we blow up a buildin' or two, an' offer a few choice words over the radio?"

Shirley thought about this too. "Blowing a building might get a few of them to stop and look; it's better than nothing. I like the radio idea best - while there's no guarantee they're listening in, Toph, you sure got a rise out of 'em with that mouth of yours. If you can do it again, and if they're listening, then why not? In the meantime, let's move in battloid around the north side of Milton and spy on them - we'll fly if our boys need us and I'm packing 20 HEAP SRMs each with a 5 mile range."

The Red Baroness turned northward and bounded along GU-11 gun pod at the ready. Shirley was driving her Valkyrie with a balanced eye for speed without sacrificing caution.

*​

"Hercules here," he replied tersely, "We're through one door and trying to breach a second. Problem is we have the attention of one of the Scavenger mecha and he's calling his buddies. We're currently sitting geese."

This was shortly followed by Booty exclaiming, "Yah mon! We in! Mario did it!"

Shirley let out a sigh of relief, but her Valkyrie's feet did not hesitate. "Copy, ground team! Once you're inside, give us a heads-up if you see another way out. Keep us updated and often!" Then she looked over to Toph from her cockpit cameras. "Toph? How about giving that taunting idea over the civilian emergency channel a try?"

 

[Psychie]

Toph lets out a nervous laugh. "Ok, I'll see if I can't kick the hornet's nest a bit and not get stung." Switching channels, she calls out in a taunting voice, "Aww, whats the matter? Poor little boys go boom-boom in their undies? I'm sure that if you look around, you pathetic scavs can probably find some clean underwear in an abandoned home. But then, you'd have to leave those dumpy, piece of crap Frankenmecha all alone, with a number of ace combat trained pilots out here, just waiting for you to drop your guard. How does it feel, having a bullseye on your back? Makes you feel a little itchy, doesn't it? Wondering when the artillery shells and missiles might come screaming in to ruin your pathetic day." She laughs, then continues. "What direction will we come from next? From the north? Or the east? How many of us are there, lurking out here, just waiting for you to make a slip-up? Can you take us on as the Zentraedi in that base come out, looking for blood? You'll be smashed flat, between the hammer and the anvil. Surrender yourselves now, and we will go easy on you."

 

[Purr]

Mood music

Spoiler

"Down in a Hole" by Alice in Chains because I couldn't resist. Besides, given the situation and lack of posts since my last, what else are the A.T.A.C. Wild Cards to do but jump? =)

Inside the pit, the massive gap down into the unknown widened and widened as the Toma-tank drew closer and closer, its bright, seeking spotlight flashing greedily about for signs of life. As the superstructure doors receded into the walls, there was less space by the moment for Mario, Hercules, and Booty to stand upon. The darkness grew at their feet as the cannons above searched for targets to explode upon.

MechaKitten looked up at the Toma-tank above and then down into the blackness below. Then he turned to Mario and Hercules. "Meeeew!" he squeaked.

Jump in already!

Mario and Hercules saw these words flash in their minds and they also knew their source, the fidgety little ball of mega-damage kitten-ness mounted still on Mario's left shoulder. The metallic cat glared downward with wide golden eyes. As the doors receded into the walls, what other choice was there? Hands on their jump jet controls, each of the A.T.A.C. tankers hopped off what little ledge remained and fell, down, down into the dark.

There is a heart-quickening rush that leaps into the body when one's feet leave solid ground to descend into parts unknown. That rush grips the soul tighter as gravity pulls harder and harder upon the body and the natural feeling of helplessness wingless creatures get when falling long distances makes the blood race and the mind shriek. Even still, despite having jump jets at one's command.

When Hercules, Booty, and Mario lit their jets to control their descent, the illumination of their packs seemed bright. But then each of them noticed there were other sources of illumination below them. A collection of green, blue, and red lights glowed from a giant-sized something in the gloom - and with each passing second, the tankers were falling near it.

They had descended roughly 250 feet from their drop-point when they saw the flat, hard floor beneath them rising up all-too-quickly. Their jump jets flared angrily in the dark as the tankers slowed their fall to safe speed. Then, one by one, their armored feet met the floor lightly. The jump jets had performed as intended and saved the tankers from a horrible fall.

Looking up, the tankers still saw the Toma-tank's searching beam some 500 feet above them on the surface of the earth. Both of the doors Mario had opened remained obediently so and now the cautious Toma-tank and his Scavenger fellows had a clear way down to where the Wild Cards stood.

Looking about, the tankers saw the collection of odd lights and now that they were unsaddled with the fright of falling to their collective dooms, they could see the lights glowed from a giant-sized computer console about 150 feet away. Mounted on the console, facing the team, there was a gigantic glass-like object, amber in color, some 75 feet high and wide there connected to that console. It seemed to provide both limited protection from dangers where the A.T.A.C. team stood and information to the user seated at said console.

One quick look and the tankers realized a user some forty feet in height dressed in odd Zentraedi-style armor was sitting in that chair, facing them and the hole they had dropped down from...

GM note for the tankers.

Spoiler

You're obviously not alone! Roll initiative in Fat Gandalf's! Then read the rest of this post for the last of it involves you. =)

*​

Toph lets out a nervous laugh. "Ok, I'll see if I can't kick the hornet's nest a bit and not get stung." Switching channels, she calls out in a taunting voice, "Aww, whats the matter? Poor little boys go boom-boom in their undies?"

This sulfurous rant of insults blazes over the civilian emergency channel only to be met with silence. That is... about three seconds of silence. The maddeningly profane-to-the-point-of-demonic replies that return upon Toph's taunting are not fit to be written on a role-playing game in a website (or on any website really). This kind of verbal filth, if piled high, would rise well over the head of Toph's own mech. Suffice to say, Toph succeeded in angering the listening Scavengers to the point their language looked a bit like this...

(And somehow... it's safe for work!)

Spoiler

Because only Sarge from Beetle Bailey can curse like this... =)

(Image credit: The Cartoonist Group)

Then Shirley's surprised, bright laugh came over the squadron-only channel. "Toph, where did a Japanese-Zentraedi like you get a mouth like that? You hear these jokers? They're so danged mad, they're ready to chew the tires off a bus!"

As the T.A.S.C. Wild Cards rounded the too-silent town with its looming apartments, parking lots, and stores, they caught the distant sight of the still-burning sign Toph had fired with her plasma missile. There, in the glow of the light, the aviators saw the silhouettes and shadows of roughly half a dozen Frankenmecha. They ambled about drunkenly. Four of these seemed to be turning to stalk toward Milton and the Wild Cards in their sharp veritechs while the others stood by the pit. Then the team making their leave paused and swiveled about toward their cohorts. It did not take a communications expert to understand a lot of talking was likely going on between them.

Moments later, the profanity stopped on the civilian emergency channel with the following words. "You'll get yours, bitch! There's twelve of us and we only saw three of you, you fu--" Then silence dominated the airwaves. In the Wild Cards' experience, when someone was sharply cut-off mid-sentence like that, it was either a failure of the radio equipment or (more likely given your situation), it was the result of a leader or communications officer (or what sufficed for the role) intervened and stopped the speaker from transmitting.

The numbers mentioned did not escape Shirley's notice. "You hear that, my fellow flygirls? There's four more of them out here somewhere... Thanks for the extra intel there, Dr. Toph! You really delivered!"

*​

It was in this very moment that, back in the pit, the doors Mario had opened began to close, seemingly all on their own. The grinding sounds of those gigantic gears rocked the ears, but above, the Toma-tank stopped searching. The Scavenger pilot did not dare descend down into the unknown alone and therefore stayed topside, locked out as he and his cohorts were before. Yet, below, Booty, Mario, and Hercules all made a startling discovery as they faced the Zentraedi sitting at his console - the very moment the doors above closed, there over their radios came a sharp, staticky sound that crackled and then immediately died.

Mario, trained as he was in radio communications, tried to key his mike. The young Italian suddenly found his fingers on both hands shaking uncontrollably as in the back of his mind, he felt the oncoming wave of a sure headache heading his way. With some trouble, he operated his radio controls to find that the only ones receiving his transmission were his fellow tankers alongside him - with the closing of the doors, the A.T.A.C. Wild Cards were cut off from the world above!

At this same moment, Elinor and Toph heard that same strange crackling sound over their squadron channel. A feeling of dread washed over them. Shirley said, "Tankers, come in. Give me a status report!" Only silence answered.

"Mario! Herc! Booty! Somebody answer me!"

Only the faint crackling of radio static replied...

 

[Psychie]

Toph immediately checks her radar for other possible targets coming in from another angle that they were not expecting. "Just sayin, it could be a reference to the number of crew inside the mecha; since a typical Tomahawk has a crew of two. Not that I plan on betting my life on it, but it is something to keep in mind. Even so, I'm keeping my eyes peeled on both the visual and radar systems, looking for tangos out there."

OOC using Systems Operation to scan the region for other targets besides the scavs that we know about.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

As the words appeared in his head, Hercules dropped through the opening. As he fell, he scoped out the room below through his weapon's thermal sight. Little showed up, but a feeling of foreboding failed to leave the mighty Greek's mind. His jetpack's engines lit the vicinity with actinic flashes as he used short bursts to arrest his descent. As his armored suit's internal sensors detected the floor drawing closer, he opened the jet pack's throttle full to land lightly on his feet, weapon raised. He circled around as his comrades touched down, then braced himself as he saw the hulking figure seated nearby.
"Contact!", Herc shouted as he hefted up his plasma caster. He leveled it at the gigantic humanoid, flicked the shot selector from 'Safe' to 'Full' and, as the weapon cycled up, depressed the trigger.

 

[Purr]

FOOM!

Hercules sent a bright red bolt of plasma speeding through the air but that crackling ball of fire stopped before it reached its destination and exploded gloriously upon the protective screen.

What the bolt failed to inflict damage it made up for in momentary illumination, for all three tankers saw in a brief moment the Zentraedi sitting at the computer console.

The lone warrior wore heavy battle armor of black and deep crimson littered with strange markings in Zentraedi. Hercules's sudden and violent attack did not provoke any sort of reaction out of the soldier. He did not even flinch. Instead he sat perfectly still before the barely damaged screen of gold that separated the combatants.

It was the expression upon his helmetless face that stood out the most - his features seemed frozen into a mask of shock and dreadful horror. Then the light of the plasma fire faded.

It became Mario's moment to take action.

*
​

In that very moment, Toph and Shirley rapidly scanned their surroundings both with their technological sensors and their naked eyes. Toph's eyes, sharp like a bird of prey, saw the oncoming danger first.

Moving in from the north, carried on gigantic mechanical legs, came a quartet of dirty Frankenmecha running in unison. They ran toward Milton.

Toph knew that she and her team were just outside that town on its north edge. She had spotted them just in time for there was just enough moments left for she, Elinor, and Shirley to hide themselves and their mecha inside Milton before they were discovered.

What does Toph do?

 

[Sherwood]

Mario shouts, "Radio contact is cut off! We're on our own for now! Split up! Don't give the Zentraedi a group target to attack!" Taking his own advice, he kicks in his jump pack to get clear of Booty and Hercules. Then, when he has a better shot, he raises up the HLW-6 and fires off a burst at his target.

+7 to hit with his rifle, doing a 1d4x10+5 for the burst.
5 bursts left in the current magazine

 

[Psychie]

Toph calls out on the squad channel, "Contact! Four Frankenmecha, coming in from the north [insert bearing and range, since I don't have the numbers]. ETA to visual with us, less than a minute. Looks like we found the missing mecha that the scavs were talking about. Do we play with these guys, or hide with pride? There is no way that the three of us can take on the lot of these losers. There is just too many for us."

 

[Kaerri]

Elinor's eyes snapped to the direction Toph indicated, though of course nothing was visible just yet; then she checked her own screens. "The whole group might be too many, but four to our three might just be enough to play with. Assumin' they aren't as good at pilotin' as they are at weldin' and such. We don't know what our boys are up to, but we do know they made it inside. Whatever happened after that, either they're gonna have some tanks soon or they're gonna need us to support their exit. Either way, the fewer Scavs the better, so if we have the chance to take 'em out in bits an' pieces like this, I'm all for it, ma'am." She looked at Shirley, waiting for her orders.

 

[Psychie]

Toph nods in agreement. "That sure beats the hell out of sitting out here on our asses, hoping that the insertion team can get their tanks out in one piece. Besides, when they make their exit, it is going to be right into the middle of the bunch of mecha out there, and if we can whittle their numbers down before then, so much the better! We can combine fire on one at a time and drop it, using hit and run tactics, so when Mario, Booty and Herc come out, we are five against eight, not five against twelve."

OOC was I able to get a good enough visual on the four incoming mecha to identify what they were cobbled together from? At least that way we might have an idea on what we are going to be up against to pick our targets for best effect.

 

[Purr]

Mood music. Fitting mood music... =)

Spoiler

Courtesy of Geddy Lee's song "My Favourite Headache" from the album of the same name. =)

Partial lyrics
Once you start running you keep on running
Till your muscles start to break down
Once you start falling you keep on falling
Till you hit the cold cold ground

Taking his own advice, he kicks in his jump pack to get clear of Booty and Hercules. Then, when he has a better shot, he raises up the HLW-6 and fires off a burst at his target.

Mario's hands had a hard time obeying his mind. His trembling fingers reached the jump jet controls as the growing sense of a painful headache continued upon him. With the double-tap of a button, the jump jet flared to life. At that very moment, a deep sense of dread lurched from within the young Italian's body and mind - it was as if he had innocently made a mistake. Possibly a big one.

As Mario's body went from zero miles an hour to suddenly being shot across the room, the jarring streak of pain in his head suddenly magnified five-fold. Mario launched safely enough but his teammates heard him give an anguished moan he himself did not hear. As he landed on the ground dozens of feet away from his comrades, he stumbled to a stop instead of landing neatly as his training had prepared him for.

Shakily, Mario raised his laser cannon. He squeezed the trigger - and missed the gigantic target. Bright bolts of laser fire struck the ceiling. Mario's mind was afire; his brain begged for rest or at the very least no more jump jetting until he recovered. Then Mario felt a wetness upon his philtrum and lower lip. He tasted something familiar in his mouth - his own blood. Not a lot of it, but enough to tell him his nose was bleeding.

Something was wrong, yes, but not terribly wrong - not unless he continued to press himself...

"Mew?" MechaKitten questioned Mario inquisitively. Mario did not feel the little creature's concerned lick across the side of his helmet for Mario's brain was in a world of hurt.

*​

Mario shouts, "Radio contact is cut off! We're on our own for now! Split up! Don't give the Zentraedi a group target to attack!"

"Black day!" Cpl. Booty muttered between gritted teeth. Cut off from the Wild Cards? Cut off from all hope of reinforcements or rescue if it were necessary? With a threat literally looming above them? Splitting up sounded wise.

And so Booty reached for his own jump jet - only to hear Mario's sudden moan and watch Mario's half-fly, half-skid across the floor of the base. What had gotten into the young man? Was he suffering from combat stress?

"Mario! What da bombaklat, mon?! You O.K.?"

Enough! There would be time to answer questions later - for now, Booty jump-jetted horizontally across the floor in a neat boost that took him toward the sitting Zentraedi. No point, thought the big Jamaican, to loose rounds in his automatic grenade launcher with such a big barrier between them. Instead, Booty sought to go around it. Between his jump-jet and athletic form of his own hard-earned body, he made it to the foot of the computer console the strange giant alien sat before. Booty raised his grenade launcher menacingly.

"Your hands! Get 'em up, wicked giant!"

But the armored giant did not stir.

He roared. "BOOTY SAID 'GET 'EM UP!!'"

But the Zentraedi continued to sit. He did not even twitch.

Booty had seen his share of chaos in battle, but this situation had him incredibly confused. He chanced a glance back at Hercules and Mario. "What in da name of Bob Marley be goin' on in here?!" He continued to aim his weapon threateningly at a Zentraedi who paid no attention to him whatsoever...

"Herc! Booty' coverin'! Go be helpin' Mario!"

*​

"Do we play with these guys, or hide with pride? There is no way that the three of us can take on the lot of these losers. There is just too many for us."

"Either way, the fewer Scavs the better, so if we have the chance to take 'em out in bits an' pieces like this, I'm all for it, ma'am." She looked at Shirley, waiting for her orders.

Shirley thought hard. In the meantime, Toph could not see well enough with her own two eyes to see the make-up of this new lance of mecha. Despite their lack of cover, they were just a little too far away to get the details she was looking for.

"Hide for the moment," Shirley ordered. "Shh. Don't let 'em see or hear you." In scant moments, Elinor, Toph, and Shirley skirted their mecha around and behind what few buildings could best conceal them from sight. Hard cover was not an option here in Milton for there seemed not to be a single mega-damage building in sight. Shops of concrete block with wood could not stand against mecha-powered weaponry and the T.A.S.C. pilots knew it.

Once they were out of sight, each of the veritech pilots found spots to peek their mecha's heads from. The enemy lance was cautiously making their way toward Milton, traveling southbound at a decent gait of about 35 miles per hour. The Wild Cards could not know what the rest of the enemy element was up to for no one had eyes on them.

Shirley thought out loud. "Sure, we can engage these four, but what would you do if you were them? Not radio to all the others that you had enemy contact? Plus, we'd be the only airborne targets if we want to make the most of our birds - that makes us easy targets for those big cannons the other two lances have got. Still... isn't there something we can be doing?"

 

[Sherwood]

Mario's voice trembles as he calls out, "S-something is wrong with my head. Pain. Lots of pain, and disorientation. Don't know what is going on. Can't think straight." He kneels down on the deck, taking deep breaths and trying to clear his head.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Annoyed but unperturbed about the failure of his initial volley to penetrate the protective screen, Hercules turned and boosted himself over to where Mario knelt. By the time he reached the downed tanker, he was kneeling and breathing heavy. With quick movements, the Grecian released the seals on the Italian's helmet and tugged at away. Concern knitted his brows as he noticed the blood freely running from Mario's nose.
"What happened? Was it like when we opened the 'egg'?", he asked.

 

[Sherwood]

"I - I don't know. It's like I was under some kind of psychic attack, powerful enough to bring me to my knees." Mario looks up at his fellow tanker with visible concern on his face. "How the fuck do we defend against something inside our own heads?" He takes a few more deep breaths, trying to get his mental feet under him once more.

 

[Purr]

Roughly half of the words Mario attempted to use came out sounding like mild gibberish, yet something about one of his recent statements...

"I - I don't know. It's like I was under some kind of psychic attack, powerful enough to bring me to my knees."

...sounded wrong. It was as if his own body was trying to tell him something (something besides, "Rest! Now! And for God's sake, don't push that jump jet button again until we are recovered!").

Hercules could understand the general gist of what the young, confused Italian-American was trying to say. With his helmet off, Hercules was able to get a good look at him - he was sweating profusely despite his mega-suit's excellent air conditioning via its passive temperature control, the bleeding came only from one nostril, the bleeding was not profuse but a trickle (Mario had likely tasted his own blood by now), and his breathing was labored and heavy like a man who had just suffered serious trauma (like a Mario-sized Tae Kwon Do kick to the head).

Unfortunately, Hercules lacked formal medical training and also the gear along with it to treat Mario.

(Note for Cap'n)

Spoiler

Hey, Cap'n? I've gone over Herc's character sheet twice - as far as I can tell, Hercules does not even have First Aid. This also means he doesn't come with any medical equipment (as none was requested prior to mission start). So, sorry, no kit.

For interested parties, here are my own notes from the Wild Cards' starting equipment page:

13. Medical gear for trained individuals:
13a. Characters with the First Aid skill receive a basic military medical kit.
13b. Characters with the Holistic Medicine skill receive a compact bag packed with fresh ingredients, herbs, salves, and all items also contained in a basic first aid kit.
13c. Characters with the Paramedic receive an intermediate medical kit (complete with painkillers and high-quality items).
13d. Characters with the Medical Doctor skill receive a Doctor's Bag which includes everything the intermediate kit contains plus room for whatever else the doctor sees fit to travel with, including a small watch-computer that fits around the patient's wrist, automatically providing that patient's blood pressure, heart rate, and other necessary numbers.

Still, Hercules knew, for the most part, the situation literally laying in front of him - Mario was conscious, breathing (heavily, in a distressed fashion), able to speak (if only semi-coherently and probably only that much because Italians are a talkative lot by nature), his eyes were not dilated, and if Herc had to guess, Mario's blood pressure and heart rate were very likely higher than normal. His hands were also noticeably shaking (from what, Herc could not be certain).

Plus (and this one Herc would know), all that sweating and this little bit of nose-bleeding meant Mario had lost no small amount of liquids). Herc might not have had a medical kit on his person, but he sure as hell had water (as did Mario). Mario, however, was in no condition to reach for either. Even Mario's weapon was out of his hands; he didn't remember dropping it. It lay about ten feet from him, not that Mario could tell.

*​

As for Mario, the A.T.A.C. corporal remembered that he was shaky-handed and painful "head-achey" symptoms prior to using the jump jet. The use of the jump jet and the sudden acceleration from zero miles-per-hour to fast meant serious G-forces upon his body. Now the only thing on his body was a MechaKitten calmly and quietly licking Mario's hair.

*​

"Ain't dis a mess," Cpl. Booty sighed, his Mk. 25 still aimed steadily on the armored Zentraedi's chest - the armored Zentraedi who may as well have been a statue for all of the movement the Wild Cards had seen out of him. "No radio meanin' no Toph or Hitomi!"

Booty took a moment to look through his thermal optics. "Drat!" Then Hercules heard his voice echo around the gigantic room. "Island Mon! Dere be two doors leadin' outta here! Booty can't be coverin' both and Mista Zentraedi..." Booty motioned toward the cover provided by the computer console the Zentraedi was seated in front of.

"Mebbe you wanna be gettin' Mario outta de open in case one'a dese doors come openin', huh?"

*​

Mood music

Spoiler

"Fear (of the Unknown)" by Siouxsie and the Banshees (because it's just cool). =)


Partial lyrics
I get the feeling -- I'm not alone
I get the feeling -- it's someone I don't know

Meanwhile, above and at Milton's northern edge, the T.A.S.C. Wild Cards had concealed their mecha behind the old, feeble buildings many Floridians once called home. As their veritechs crouched in various stages of hiding, Toph alone had a strange feeling, but a feeling her gut told her was true -

She was being watched.

A quick glance to her wingmates cemented that it was neither of her fellow pilots.

Still, the eery feeling persisted...

 

[Sherwood]

Mario wipes the back of his hand across his nose and grimaces at the blood he sees. "It may be that I pushed myself too hard, using the Traversing power on both doors back to back. I'm a bit light headed, but as long as I don't hit the jets anytime soon, I should be ok. We are still ATAC, and we have a job to do. Lets find those tanks and get out of this place." Where I can take a handful of Tylinol to make this pain go away. Ouch! I should follow up with the experts on this, to see if I did push myself too hard.

 

[Purr]

Mario's body has other ideas - it requires rest. At the moment, he is uncertain if he can stand up without help. He is very thirsty. His head is pounding savagely and Tylenol sounds like a gift from the gods right now. Unfortunately, such remedies involve having medical kits.

 

[Psychie]

Toph quickly uses her radar, external cameras, and even the good ol' Mark One Eyeball to look around for any sign of what might be giving her the creepy feeling. "Ladies, ever get the feeling that you were being watched? I've got that feeling now, and its giving me the heebie jeebies. Looking for any targets now, but in the meantime, I strongly suggest we move; sitting still never has suited me well."

Is this a Perception roll in which an Action Point would be usable? I want to make sure that I don't miss spotting whatever it is out there.

 

[Sherwood]

Mario's body has other ideas - it requires rest. At the moment, he is uncertain if he can stand up without help. He is very thirsty. His head is pounding savagely and Tylenol sounds like a gift from the gods right now. Unfortunately, such remedies involve having medical kits.

With this in mind, Mario pulls out a canteen of water with shaking hands and tries to take a drink. "Shit. I'm feeling too shaky to even stand without support. But, we can't sit here. It will be the deaths of us all. We have got to move! Herc, help me up?" He hated feeling like an invalid, but there is just noting that can be done other than rest, and there is no time for that right now.

 

[Purr]

Is this a Perception roll in which an Action Point would be usable? I want to make sure that I don't miss spotting whatever it is out there.

(Note to Psychie)

Spoiler

Yes. If you'd like to use an Action Point, please provide the color dice you'd like for your d20 and d6 in Fat Gandalf's.

*​

With this in mind, Mario pulls out a canteen of water with shaking hands and tries to take a drink.

Herc might not have had a medical kit on his person, but he sure as hell had water (as did Mario). Mario, however, was in no condition to reach for either.

Mario tried reaching for his canteen, but he discovered he lacked the motor control in his fingers necessary to draw it out. He noticed his words were slurring now and his brain ached more as he continued to speak.