Futuristic R E S O N A T O R . Schrödinger's Gambit (IC)

[Lekiel]

Galvode

Yurica Aeterna

Codename: Nightingale

Central ANGELA - Eastern Sector

A flash of red and a low hum. Glass shattered. Metal melted. Walls seared. A maniacal cackle.

She just had to buy time.

“How long do you think you keep me away?!”

Yurica sent another stream of searing energy from GALATINE, blasting the front of a retail building as the traitorous Resonator darted out of the way, just barely ahead. The Agent could feel the heat from the beamlance’s handle as its energy core had begun to overheat from the repeated usage in continuous stream mode. A dull red glow shimmered from her back as her implants saturated the air with OMNis.

A Surge against an Agent. Even with slightly better stats, the Agent was at a physical disadvantage. Resonators were never meant to fight each other, they worked together, as a team; it was only then that they could lead the charge and bring the fight against the corruptants. But that careful discipline had been ruined. The Sons of Pythagoras had seen to that. Destroyed mankind’s last hope. They murdered her family.

But Yurica knew how to kill. She was one of mankind’s greatest attempts at creating murderers afterall, way before the heavens Shattered.

One chance. If she were to win, she had to hit them so hard in one go that they wouldn’t be able to recover. She just had to buy enough time to find her opening.

“So predictable!” The Raven-haired Surge cackled, vaulting over a cement blockade, she flipped mid-air and planted her feet on the wall of a ruined lot. Then in a blur of motion, rushed to close the gap with the Agent. At the last moment, the red energy beam intercepted her advance yet again, causing the scythe-wielder to hastily dodge to the side. GALATINE released a barely audible beep, indicating that its energy cell was spent.

“I heard that~ Is that what I think it is??” The pythagorean called in a sing-song voice, realising she may now have the upperhand. Yurica raised GALATINE’s point toward the traitor but they merely smirked, calling her bluff. The staredown lasted for barely a second, then both burst into action. Yurica ejected the spent energy cell as the traitor charged, cackling with arrogant glee.

The distance was closed in the blink of an eye and the traitor swung her scythe at the Agent’s head, fully expecting to catch her before she could reload.

Clang. A ring of metal as the curved blade was deflected. The reload was a ruse. Anticipating the attack, Yurica had drawn the traitor in, but even with the correct prediction she was almost too late as the curved tip gashed at her temple lacerating skin.

“I’m not done!” The Surge shrieked. Her sweeping motion continued as she spun, aiming a roundhouse kick at the Agent who barely blocked the attack with her arm.

Not yet. Yurica winced as she felt a sharp crack. Her right humerus probably fractured.

The next blow was too fast for her as the right hook came out as a blur, streaking towards her face. Her left hand reached up to block, but collapsed under the force and the punch cracked against her cheek. Not yet. She nearly blacked out, but forced herself to remain standing. Yurica was in too close, the scythe would not get her so. . . she barely glanced the Surge’s shifting weight as they prepared another devastating kick.

Now. The Agent’s feet relaxed, steeling the top half of her torso, she absorbed the kick with her already injured right arm this time feeling the bone snap. “Hurk!” She grunted against the pain. The force, coupled with her relaxed footing sent the Agent flying several yards away to crash against a destroyed car, the wind knocked out of her gasping lungs. Yurica sank to her knees, doubling over and clutching her right arm in pain.

“Gotcha—ARGHH!” The Surge’s mocking smile was wiped from her lips as she was suddenly engulfed in searing flame. The very space Yurica had stood on, saturated completely by her nanites had ignited into a swirling ball of fire, burning the very air in the Surge’s gasping lungs. The traitor screamed and writhed in torment, collapsing to the ground as the roar of the fireball engulfed her.

Her left hand reached for GALATINE, using the lance to steady herself, Yurica dragged herself to her feet. Wincing in pain, she stumbled forward as the flames extinguished, as the smell of burnt flesh tainted the air.

“You talk too much.” She stood beside the Resonator, her body a twisted still smoking wreck. A choked raspy scratch emanated from her ruined voicebox. Despite her injuries, the traitor still clawed at her foot, futilely attempting to grasp at the Agent until an armoured boot slammed down hard on her arm, snapping it in two.

“That’s for my arm,” Nightingale leaned her weight on the broken appendage, grinding her boot and causing the other woman to let out a wretched squeal. Whatever feeble protests was promptly silenced with the tip of her lance shoved through her mouth. Then as the dying woman choked on the shards of her broken teeth, her skull was melted open by the blast of an energy beam.

◇ ◇ ◇​

Her broken arm was now a dull throb by the time she reunited with Shrike and Mockingjay, relieved to see that the other two were alive, if not the worse for wear, especially the Edenis. Around them were the corpses of yet more pythagoreans, courtesy of their petite Echo.

“He’s gone.” The vermillion-haired woman leaned a trident-esque weapon against the side of the ruined warehouse they were sheltering. It had been Niriq’s Kakivak. It was all she found of the Atunity, that and a bloodied first-aid kit. Mono was MIA.
No reduction in first aid supplies if Mockingjay uses their current medic kit.

A low rumble reverberated across the sky, drawing Yurica’s attention. More cracks had appeared as portions of the iridescent barrier began failing. Not a moment too soon, all Resonators would have their Lagrange Particle readers come to life, emitting staticky white noise.
Major sections of the FSF is now under LAGRANGE 1 Blight

Nightingale’s gaze returned to her companions, noting the injuries that while significant, were not life-threatening. They could rest and take a breather, or keep moving; she chose the latter.

“Bandage up as much as you can, we have to keep moving.” Her voice was dispassionate, seemingly uncaring.

Code by Serobliss

◇ ◇ ◇Mentions: Euclid Leaf FabulousTrash

GM Notes:
1. For team two, you guys can assume Angel eventually managed to isolate the communications tower from the main network, allowing it to operate independently from the hacked central system giving the RCL in the East sector almost uninterrupted comms.

 

[seasonedcat]

Machine Savant

Jupiter Syun

Codename: MONARCH

CORRUPTANT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LAB

Monarch watched it all happen, stiffly following behind Jubilee. The jarring experience still shocked him to the core; he couldn't deny the way he froze, scrunching up as he prepared to be struck when his handler brought up how he did not follow his orders. The way she praised him for it made his head squirm with mixed emotions and orders. He did his best not to shut down as they walked around the lab, letting Jubilee talk to empty air as she usually did.

when it was all over, droplets fell from empty skies. From behind her, Moarch outstretched a hand, hovering over her back, before he let it drop to his side. What help could he possibly provide to the other? Turning his blank stare to the faceless figure that glared at him from inside the building, his attention was brought back by his name as he gave the other a nod as he readied his gun and followed his handler.

as they grew closer to their destination, their walking order changed, Monarch taking lead as they approached a dangerous area. As the two of them continued through the research sector, it became very clear just how many cultists there were lurking around, far too many for the two of them to take on by themself. So, picking off the few they could, they slowly began to make their way to the package.

taking down a lone cultist standing watch, Juipter motioned for Jubilee to move in. Their best way forward was through buildings and between them. Dead researchers and the like kept popping up in their way; Jupiter couldn't help but notice the sinking of his handler's mood, though there was little he knew how to improve it with. The trudge towards their destination was taking longer than it should have, the stealth slowing them down more than Juipter would like.

moving slowly, Jupiter began to open a door while the cultist was turned. Just as the door knob began to give, the eyes of the cultist met Jupiter's covered ones. Without thinking, Jupiter called out quickly, "Jubilee, get down!" as he threw the door before him open, bullets slamming into the frame where he once stood. As the firing paused, Juipter began to fire back, covering Jubilee so she could move to him. Slamming the door behind them, the two pushed a nearby cabinet over with a loud thud, blocking the door behind them.

those shots would not go unmissed; stealth would be near impossible, but so would a head-on assault. The two's pace quickened as they pushed forward. Jupiter tried to keep to his firearm, and even then, he relied on stealth. Even still, as they reached the package, he couldn't help but have almost shot at a deep blue figure once or twice, the void-filled eyes staring back at him as if daring him.

the two once again blocked the door they came in as they entered the building, "Ms. Jubilee, where is the package located in the building?" Juipter chimed in as he began to sweep the area before they pushed further in. His gun raised quickly to a face that appeared before him, but his finger hovered on the trigger as the familiar deep blue colour processed in his head. He could almost make out its agony-filled face as he flinched back from the stench of burning flesh. Shaking off the jitter inside him, Jupiter nodded to Jubilee that the area was clear for now.
Juju Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Surge // Handler

Mocking Jay

Codename: Mocking Jay

Central Plaza // Warehouse District

...

Jay had heard something echoing in the darkness... Or was it just the sound of the booming warzone outside?
Their eyes listed back and forth. But truthfully, it was hard to keep focus. A static filled their head. It was hard to shift between reality and...

Big Sis... Are you there?

They were calling out again.

Big Sis. Why did you leave us...? You promised us we would be together...

Mocking Jay let out a weak gurgle, kicking their feet in futility at the twisted child-like shadows standing in the dark corners of the caved-in warehouse. If they were able to let out a cry, they would. The mangled, distorted faces were well hidden in the shadows. That much they can be thankful for. But the hands were reaching out. Bloody rotten hands illuminated under the pillar of light pouring down from the cracked skyline above. And more appeared to join. Tiny bodies crawled out from the dust and brittle, damaged earth.

Little hands with ribbon-tied fingers raised up, and the tiny voices began to wail.

I'm sorry... But you're not real... I’m sorry. You’re not real… Not real… not real...

They didn't need the crackling sound of white noise from their wrist reader to tell them the increasing lagrange level. At this point, it only added to the confusing noise. The growing presence of the corruptors storming above only caused the Blight to grow more robust, more viscous. The faux-city around them roared, as alien noises began to overwhelm the human ones. They mixed with the haunting objects in their mind. What was real anymore? The prior mental affects were easily discarded by trained cognitive dissociation techniques. Even something so simple, as a snap of the fingers could dispel them. But these hallucinations were beginning to take stronger form than just physical touch.

The tendency of mental disturbances were surely not helped by the intense head trauma Mocking Jay suffered.

Despite acknowledging their objective falsity, these grim visions refused to relinquish their hold. Their fractured thoughts began to be flooded with contradictions. The scents of flowers filled their nose, of days long gone, filled their mind. The fluttering wings of a bird, a dark raven lay perched atop the mounting wave of rotted hands.

Don't look at me like this... Please...

Mocking Jay was shaking now. Tears filled their eyes as they tried to not look at the watcher bird. They pointed their eyes on the shifting, dulling horizon. Anything to block it out. Several more shudders could be felt in the heavy air of the warehouse. There was definitely a battle outside.

Kyu... Nightingale... Even if I don't... Please...

Their hands gripped the the trigger handle of SURTR ever tighter, a shivering finger pressed firmly on the hypercube core-release button.
When a shadow emerged suddenly, they almost released it in their panicked state. But they recognized the smaller pale shape, and the long fin-like braided hair.

Jay felt the tightness in their chest ease at the approaching, mumbling shadow.

“...Do you need healing?” ... “I found…this too…”

Were all the words they could piece together, the rest were drowned out by the throbbing pain in their missing ear. A bloody metallic kit was dropped in their lap. Mocking Jay recognized the symbol of the medical cross. Mocking Jay gazed up at the blank face of their reunited teammate. Was this item pilfered from a recently deceased? Though in an odd way, the misguided gesture was touching. This might just be their way of trying to help.

The bruised lips dribbled while forming words to make an answer, blood pouring out in fluttered streams. Knowing it was futile, the black ear drooped. Jay simply nodded their head.
Then the bloody rabbit pointed at the chipped armor on the horn. A look of concern filled their pink eyes.

Their head tilted, as if seeking a response to a question.

…

With a blink, the quiet scene in their mind vanished like the vapor of fresh gunpowder in the air. Jay awoke to a similar, but different scene. The shriveled wailing ceased, however the scene of the dead remained. At least half a dozen bodies now littered the broken warehouse, fallen traitors, more Pythagorean turncoats. The scene before was all a hallucination. Though allies indeed did come. The glowing wisp barrier erected now above them dissipating as Yurica marched into view.

Leaning up against the wall, Mocking Jay pushed up by arcing their back to try and meet their companions. But they fell back on their bottom with a gurgle. Frustrated and in pain, they still accepted the safety. Their finger left the trigger of SURTR, as they relaxed. The pink eyes noticed the points of impacts in Nightgale's sleek battle armor.

This loss was due to their lack of experience against smarter, human targets.

Everyone was fighting while I was just...

Nightingale had also brought held a familiar trident, which she laid with some sobriety to the side. Maybe the memory of the strange edenis, in some way protected them, in the end. The edenis teared up, as they gazed at the medical kit placed in their lap.

"It's all my fault, isn't it…" Jay's sobs sounded like gurgling chokes, as blood oozed up their throat.

But something told them to shut up, and be grateful. They needed to make this sacrifice worth it. Wiping off the fresh blood, they took note of the new kit. The medical kit retrieved seemed a little more advanced, probably due to its previous owner being a dedicated ATUNITY medic.

As they suspected, a canister of faint blue liquid was found within. A rare stabilizing serum was cradled at the center of the medical impliments, an experimental tonic only useful to RESONATORS. Due to their enhanced physiology. Any lesser immune system would destroy itself, any normal body crumble under the immense homeostasis shock as cells were forced to undergo rapid granulation and cell mitosis. A promotion only capable due to latent RESONANCE.

Though, as advanced as the serum was at promoting regeneration in RESONATORS... it won't stop the pain.

The edenis grit their teeth as their loaded into the injector syringe. They tried to look away from Kyu, knowing what will come. With a deep breath, they stabbed the thick needle it into their carotid artery. The device hissed as it was administered, and the rabbit began to shudder and throb violently.

The icy cold chemicals mixed into their bloodstream, entering their brain and causing the RESONANCE in their body to activate. A spark could be seen in their eyes, similar to when their powers would trigger, however, instead the energy focused into rapid cell growth. It looked like worms were crawling underneath their skin, as Jay curled from the pain, their eyes rolling back. They shuddered and fell back against the wall in a stuttering, jittering mess. Though they could feel every fiber contract, they had no control at this point. Foam and tears streamed down their face as their fingernails stabbed into their palms trying to stop themselves from blacking out. Loud cracks can be heard as bones snapped, and reformed, compressed into place underneath tightening clamps of surging muscle tissue.

They let out a cry, an audible one, as the blood cleared and the inflammation clogging their throat began to quickly recede. It allowed them to speak again, even if all they could manage now were suppressed moans of pain.

The torn rabbit ear seemed to even regrow before their very eyes, but suddenly halted at a halfway fleshy nub.

The edenis heaved as they unfurled on the floor, covered in sweat and blood. The pink eyes gazed out weakly, barely lifelike. As miraculous as it was, the emergency serum had a few major flaws. Not only did the regrowth exhausted those who used it. By utilizing inherent RESONANCE as a catalyst, it depleted a majority of a RESONATOR's reserve to induce the healing effect. This also meant the less RESONANCE available, the less healing would be possible. Mocking Jay had little, if any left for use in the last combat. It was probably nonexistent now.

Hopefully, some of it can return before another major encounter.

Mocking Jay shivered as they held a hand up, breathing heavily, "I'm sorry... I'm such a burden... But can someone help me up? Just for now... I'll be able to walk once I get up..."
Despite their plea, they couldn't look their teammates square in the face. Especially not after being saved in such a disgraceful manner. And the tone in which Yurica told them to hurry up only made Mocking Jay feel more guilty at being unable to handle their share of combat. They simply bit their lip, trying to stop from tearing up in front of their stone-faced captain.

For some reason, it felt like they had disappointed a motherly-like figure.

"I'm sorry..." they whispered again.
...

Code by Serobliss

Mentions: Lekiel FabulousTrash

 

[Lekiel]

Galvode

Yurica Aeterna

Codename: Nightingale

CENTRAL ANGELA - EASTERN SECTOR

Above, the shimmering firmament crumbled. A faux facade that was their only semblance of normality in this abnormal world, peeling away as the pylons that kept them in place crumbled all across the Sanctum. The irony that they would revolve their lives around such an immaterial object, the carefully controlled climate of their abode. But as if it were a reflection of humanity’s dying light in this shattered universe, it peeled away, leaving the gaping terrifying void that was once a limitless sky; all those years ago.

A flash of crimson plasma. Flittering embers of a ruined city. The maniacal cackle of triumphant laughter that seemed all too common with the pythagoreans. Perhaps it had something to do with the presence of Historia.

Nightingale was among the upper echelons of her nearly extinct kind. In a time before, trained, honed and nurtured to be the ultimate weapon. But not in this age. Her opponent was stronger. Faster. Meaner. Built to take the kill, superior to her in almost every way. Almost. Yurica’s weary eyes quickly scanned her opponent, looking for any recognisable markings that would jog her memory; she found none.

Good. . . If she did not recognise them, it was likely they were beneath her. She would crush them.

The battle was swift. It had to be, with their disproportionate abilities. The agent could hit very hard, but only once. She was as good as dead if she missed. Fortunately, Nightingale was better than good. Drawing her opponent in and taking them off-guard with searing fire that scorched the inside of her enemy’s lungs. The same tactic she had used before, though she likely could not do it again not without rest. Her OMNis were completely spent, forcing it one more time and she would be down with severe nausea, not to mention she would lose the oversight provided by Auraseer.

She stood over the smouldering heap that was her enemy. Crouching the Agent wiped the gore from her lance with what remained of the traitor. Turning around, she surveyed the latest battle, crimson eyes searching and immediately finding the broken by that lay surrounded by their wretched enemies.

Mocking Jay. . . a damned pity. The Surge had been completely exhausted from the previous fight, RESONANCE almost depleted. Preoccupied with her own battles, she only had time to see the last vestiges of the brilliant flash of light and deafening roar of MJ’s codebreaker going off, taking a good portion of the enemy along with their own life with it.

“Bête,” Yurica whispered, remembering MJ’s file on their theoretical codebreaker manifestation. She’d made a mental note to ask what it meant, but perhaps that curiosity would never be sated. From an onlooker’s perspective, the Agent could be seen crouching to the ground, folding her dead teammate’s arms over their chest and covering their eyelids. Then she would stand and tap her earpiece, voice and face expressionless like the heartless bitch she was.

“Shrike, do you copy? We need to catch up with Jubilee and Monarch.” Yurica cast her eyes around looking for the Echo before her gaze went up to the huge looming research facility before her. Other than the recent group of Sons of Pythagora and the hiss and bump of the broken security doors at the front everything was silent. Last contact from the Scrim and Savant duo was that they were heading in.

With the ever constant battle sirens wailing in the distance, a sudden crackle of the automated loudspeakers broke through the relative silence, then came the dreaded disembodied voice.

warning, LAGRANGE particles rising. . . warning, LAGRANGE particles at level two. . .

Code by Serobliss

◇ ◇ ◇Mentions: SilverFlight mizton Sharatayn seasonedcat Wilder28 Juju SirDerpingtonIV FabulousTrash

GM Notes:
As we are doing a continuation post, we will start off from where we last left off albeit with some behind-the-scenes progress.

1. Team Yurica has lost 2 members. Niriq and MJ. After the previous attack where we left off (where Niriq was lost), the team rushed to rendezvous with Brigette and Jupiter but was ambushed yet again by another group, larger this time, of Pythagorean Resonators. In a heroic attempt, Mocking Jay activated their Codebreaker, taking with them 3 out of the 5 who could not get out of the way. The remaining 2 were dispatched by Yurica and Kyu each.

2. Brigette and Jupiter finally made it into the research facility where their objective, the Shard of the Old World is kept in the biomedical research section. Luckily for them, the Shard, encased in a metallic incubator of sorts the size of a barrel, is located in a secure housing below ground in basement 3. Unfortunately for them, the systems are on low power and have been disrupted. Jupiter can use one whole post to hack the system to release the incubator safely. Once released, the incubator must be carried using a special harness upon a Resonator’s back. If the Resonator does not have at least 6 Physique, they are encumbered and be unable to perform any offensive attacks. The Resonator requires at least 3 Physique to carry the incubator. To make matters worse, the duo must remain stealthy as the facility is being rapidly infested with Blight, heralding the spawning of various Splinters.

3. Team 2 consists of Gell, Angel, Damien and Natalie. Helena is either MIA or KIA. The team is successful in their efforts in defending and restoring the comms hub, though the team may never witness the significance of their efforts they can rest knowing they have given the defenders of FSF ANGELA a fighting chance. When they finally reach the vehicle bay, unfortunately due to their delay, the place is already crawling with Splinters who had overwhelmed the mechanics and small force of guards stationed there.

Both Damien and Gell must make a 1d10 dice roll. If both their results add up to 16 points or less, they will be too late. Fighting their way through the Splinters only to see the assigned Badger Transport vehicle explode. They will then have to secure the second Badger troop carrier and the group will have significantly less supplies.

4. A large portion of the FSF has been breached and is now under LAGRANGE 2 levels or greater. Splinters have begun spawning, attacking both Pythagorean and the RCL troops alike. In addition to that, the stress of the recent loss of comrades and battle strain weighs heavily on all Echoes. Disembodied voices of the WISPs will increase in intensity and they will begin to hallucinate. All echoes must make a dice roll or be incapacitated (unable to defend or attack). If they have written about taking DS pills since the start of the mission, they may add 2 points to each dice roll.
Angel - The strain from freeing the comms hub from Historia was immense. While he is successful, he must make a 1d10 dice roll and score at least 7 or more or be incapacitated for 1 post. Then he must make another dice roll of 1d10 and score at least 6 or more to overcome the effects of the LAGRANGE dissonance or be incapacitated for at least 1 post.
Jupiter - Must make a dice roll of 1d10 and score at least 6 or more to overcome the effects of the LAGRANGE dissonance or be incapacitated for at least 1 post.
Kyung Min - Back to back fighting is extremely exhausting, coupled with the trauma of losing her handler. She must make a dice roll of 1d10 and score at least 6 or more or be incapacitated for 1 post. Then, she must make a dice roll of 1d10 and score at least 6 or more to overcome the effects of the LAGRANGE dissonance or be incapacitated for at least 1 post.

 

[Juju]

Scrim / Handler

Brigitte Lefèvre

Codename: JUBILEE

Research Facility

Lekiel seasonedcat
"Basement number 3, in Biomedical Research!" Brigitte replied in a cheerful manner to Monarch's question. She reached into her belt and retrieved a vial of bright green fluid, the glow reflecting in her eyes like a cat's. She loaded it into her bolt gun, snapping the cartridge closed with a satisfying click. With a nod towards one blood-stained hallway, she added, "That way! Come along now, Monarch. And be weary, I bet there's a welcome party of splinters below! Oh, I wonder what types there will be!"

Something in the air had changed, a sizzling energy that Brigitte could feel like waves of electricity across her skin. The LAGRANGE particles were steadily increasing, enough that she inherently knew it was at least Level Two. There was something about the way her fingertips tingled, reaching out for a splinter node yet to be born. While a splinter infestation was a danger to both of them, there was opportunity in the chaos. Could she be forgiven if she felt a little excited?

As the building's power was redirected to only the most critical appliances, the hallways were filled with shadows and the pulsating flashes of alarms. The only source of illumination was the dull red lights meant to lead a way to the emergency exits. It would be prime hunting grounds for splinters, which she had no doubt were prowling in the darkness as they made their way through it. If they did not wish to be outnumbered or pounced on by a warrior-class, they would have to choose their steps carefully.

Brigitte held a hand up to Monarch, signalling him to slow his advance, when she heard something farther up the corridor. They passed by a large room filled in unnatural, crimson light. A node had formed within, guarded by a few warrior splinters and an archer. Brigitte would have loved to gather samples, but they had more important matters to attend. Brigitte brought a finger up to her lips, signalling Monarch to be quiet as they sneaked past the room and slunk into a stairwell leading them deeper into the hell pit.

Something had made its home in darkness they entered, something that seeped with corrosive goo. It noticed them intrude upon its territory, but before it could even let out a shriek of alarm, its will was bent and moulded to the whim of another. Brigitte's eyes glinted in the darkness, irises glowing verdant. She whispered, smiling as she gave the subdued splinter a little tap on its side, "Easy now... we can't be ruining the surprise. Now, if you would kindly lend a hand, er, mandible?"

The skittering thing blasted through the stairway doors, melting away the metal with corrosive goo. Brigitte stepped over the puddle and motioned for Monarch and their new friend to follow suit. Instead of following behind Monarch, the archer crawled on the side of the wall, skittering like a spider. The scrim kept her voice low, yet the endearment was not lost, "Hmm... you look like a Francis. You'll be known as Francis from now on."

The third basement was far more populated than the last. Up until this point, their stealth had been enough to avoid combat, but eventually their luck ran out. A patrolling pack of warriors emerged from a side hallway and made their attack, but the combined efforts of Francis, Brigitte and Monarch were enough to take them out without much trouble. The three charged on ahead, until they reached the doorway to the holding cell. It was placed directly in the centre of a T hallway, leaving three dark doorways to guard.

"Monarch, mon cher, this is your time to shine. Francis and I will cover for you. Just focus on getting that door opened!" Brigitte called to him, reloading her gun again as she spotted a pair of glowing eyes farther down the hall. It appears that their meddling had been noticed by the splinters. She shot out one of her canisters, then commanded Francis to follow up with a blast of corrosive goo. The eyes faded away, only to be replaced by two more in the hallway to the right.

Two warriors leapt from the shadows, theirs claws long and sharp in the meagre light. Francis managed to strike one out midair, but the other landed on the hacked splinter, shearing off one of its limbs. Brigitte shot at the beast with a corrosive round, knocking it off and letting Francis finish it off with a stab to the head.

"Putain!" she swore, "Where's a shield when you need it?"

With perfect timing, she heard the heavy footfalls of something large approaching the two. Thick chitin plates scraped the walls of the basement, flanked by a small group of warriors that scrambled below it.

"Ah! There it is!" Brigitte said, eyes glowing brighter as her resonance latched onto the creature's mind, forcing her consciousness into its own until they were one and the same. Its heavy claws reached out to grab the warriors rushing ahead of it, catching its previous allies off guard and smashing them against the walls like toy dolls.

"Oh Bessy, darling! Be a doll and guard that hallway for us!" she called to her newest splinter.

She then returned to guarding Monarch, fending off any splinter that appeared from the halls.

Code by Serobliss

 

[FabulousTrash]

Machine Savant

Song Kyung-Min

Codename: SHRIKE

CENTRAL ANGELA - EASTERN SECTOR

With all her remaining energy, the echo thrust her sword into the center of the enemy before her, before lifting her blade upwards and through their body, making a clean cut through the middle of their head. As their body crumpled to the ground, so did Kyung-Min, the girl collapsing to one knee, using her blade to support her weight.

She was tired. Exhausted.

She was done.

Her mind was still coming to terms with the death of her handler. It happened suddenly, but Kyu could recall every single moment. The bright flash. The fading image of the one she regarded as a friend. No, more than that. In that moment, Kyu had little time to realize what had happened before she and Yurica were attacked by the remaining enemies. But now, everything was still.

Every bone in her body wanted to give up. Give in. What was the point of fighting if she would continue to lose the ones she held close to her?

Her anger reminded of her of the answer. Her resentment fueled her body.

The echo pushed herself back to her feet as her eyes took in the scene around her, just in time to catch the call from Yurica over the comm. Kyu said nothing in reply, but made her way back to the other in short time. As Kyu got closer, she noticed Jay's body off to the side. Eyes closed, arms crossed. Kyu's eyes narrowed as she wandered over, kneeling down before them Her body shook slightly as she fought back tears, her teeth clenched tightly. A few moments passed before the echo recomposed themselves, then searched the fallen edenis's body and retrieved the powered multi-tool that they carried. Kyu pocketed it without a word before returning to Yurica's side.

Even before the announcement came over the loudspeaker, Kyu knew something was off as her eyes tightened shut, her free hand reaching up as she pressed the tips of her fingers against the side of her head.

They were getting louder. Stronger.

When the echo opened her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of silhouettes of bodies. They were dark, blurry, unrecognizable. Except for one. In the sea of unknown, a pair of rabbit ears stood out from the rest.

This is cruel.

The words they spoke were incoherent, but their voice was as clear as day. To Yurica or any other onlooker, Kyu appeared to be staring into the distance, at nothing in particular. The echo closed her eyes tightly once more, flushing out the voices in her head.

Go away!

All was normal the second time she opened her eyes. The bodies were gone, and the voices were quiet once more. Kyu looked towards Yurica for further instructions. Her impulse was telling her to just run ahead and kill every single Corruptant she saw. But a small part of her mind kept her still and obedient.

They wouldn't have wanted that.

Code by Serobliss

Lekiel

 

[seasonedcat]

Machine Savant

Jupiter Syun

Codename: MONARCH

CORRUPTANT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LAB

the mission moved on easily for the two, their practiced rythum making their dance fluid. As they continued forward, Monarch followed his orders skillfully and without hesitation. As he was directed towards hacking the door, he quickly spurred into action. He focused on his task, ignoring the dull feeling of worry in his stomach for his handler. He had to trust that she would be fine. She was skilled, he knew that, but despite this, a part of him still insisted on being worried.

as the hacking continued, he couldn't help but notice a headache that began to form. Thankfully, he could ignore it and push ahead, even though he found his head begging to swim in a familiar way. If he had looked away from his task, he would have noticed the crimson-butterflied figures now glaring at him. An all too familiar dripping sound had begun in his ears, but he continued to push it back.

"Mₒₙaᵣcₕ..."

his breathing elevated slightly behind his mask from one of the voices that continued to haunt him. His movements became more rushed as he tried to focus away from the hallucinations around him. Lucky for him, he had taken his meds recently, as he is required to due to his special circumstances. This made him able to push back the pounding in his head, just barely.

his practiced movements of the hack proved tedious as he came near the end of his work. If all went well, the door would open, and they could continue the mission without much more hiccups. He could feel arms wrapping around his own hands as if trying to slow him down as he almost finished. He would not fail his handler here. The mission would be completed if it killed him, and Brigitte would be okay.
mentions | Juju Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[mizton]

Machine Savant

Angel Salvatierra

Codename: SERAPH

VEHICLE BAY

It was Angel who had been closest.

By all means, the man was in no shape to be where he was. When he'd trailed after his team following their success in regaining control of the comms hub, he'd done so nearly limping. The hack-&-slashing they'd mowed through hadn't been anything that Angel hadn't been through before. It was fending off even a sliver of Historia's technological capabilities that had finally winded the Echo.

The trek toward the vehicle bay had been one with a palm glued to Angel's forehead, applying pressure at his temple in an effort to halt a newfound pulsing beneath his eyes & brow. When they'd reached the garage, Angel was encouraged to head toward the Badger first, hoping to find a place to rest while the remainder of the team secured the area. Luckily, he hadn't quite reached the vehicle when a Splinter, in its last action, committed some kind of self-destructive protocol that resulted in the explosion of the Badger.

& so it was Angel who'd been hit first in his team.

In top shape, he might've just spat off to the side & bounced back like it'd just been a breeze. In his current state though, it was luck that an arm had already been up, soothing his aching head. Reflexively, his wings had come out like a hug to wrap around him & bear the brunt of the blast.

Where he'd landed made itself known by the faint glowing of green in a smog of debris.

"Gell," he managed with a weak finger that didn't possess even the slight force needed push the comms button at his face plate. His breathing became labored. Each expansion of his lungs created an awful, near bruise-inducing pressure against his ribs & armor that made him nearly lightheaded. Internally, he knew this not the case as disembodied voices nearly inflated his head, they too pressing uncomfortably against his skull & face plating. Everything he was experiencing felt impossibly contained by this gaunt & toppling form—weak. Was it really just him?

To look around was to catch flickering & changing glimpses of the bay's fallout. In one glance, he'd catch sight of the facility's miscellany—guards & mechanics—rising sluggishly above cover, clear signs of life still puppeteering their forms. By Angel's next blink, their bodies lay motionless & covered in a debris that would've only accumulated with a stillness that marked their death long before his team's arrival.

No matter how frantically he wiped at his brow in an attempt to straighten out his vision, the scene before him changed. In one, he swore a guard even laughed at him, only for his mind to latch onto this confusion & again consume his thoughts with the eerie & hiccupping sound byte.

Weakly, Angel—mission-oriented & seeing himself no more as a faulting bit of machinery—called for maintenance in the most strained whisper his voice could muster after the groan he'd nearly wailed earlier in overcoming the witch's hold over their comms hub. His voice spent, he murmured, "Buddy, I need— help..."

& though he maybe should've, Angel did not pass out. Instead, the blond simply slumped. At that point, he'd found shelter beside a collapsed workbench that a mechanic had beckoned him toward. Upon arrival, his tactile senses found the mechanic cold enough to have Angel wondering if the beckoning had been something imagined.

Beside the body, Angel stayed agonizingly conscious. By all means, he was out of commission for at least a good while. The WISP that he'd been idly maintaining on his polearm dissipated into the dim occlusions beneath & within vehicle tires, shelving, & rubble; the sight, not unlike a sudden gust of wind to blow away the fallen soot & brimstone left behind by the chaos.

In this moment, Angel felt still & might've fallen asleep, were it not for the internal & external alarms keeping him up: internal, for the way his mind's cacophony sang & external for the clanging odds between his team & the Splinters. Every passing millisecond within his mind with a constant barrage of shrieking, sampled by the outbreak's sounds all around.

Code by Serobliss

 

[SilverFlight]

Scrim // Handler

Gell Watanabe

Codename: INUGAMI

Vehicle Bay

The lagrange levels were rising, Gell could swore he felt it happen. There was a dissonance to his perception that intensified if he paused for just a moment.
Another flash of black and a screech. Gell lunged toward it and met the splinter in the air. His hand caught the side of it, shielded from the razer sharp carapace by his gauntlets.
Two swift shots to the creature's stomach diabled it. Gell didn't stay to make sure it was dead. They had a mission to complete, and Angel was exhausted.

Every so often he would glance back atthe savant, worry only barely knitting his brow.
Just a little longer, we're almost there.
The bay doors loomed, grey and imposing before them. Luckily Gell had the codes and by some miracle, the bay still had power.
He watched them open slowly, light pouring onto a scene that made his heart sink:
The time they had taken to free the comms tower had enabled the splinters to invade. Gell could see the black, writhing shadows skitter in and out of the darkness. Great.

"Right. Come on then." He growled.

Before they started this mission, Gell joked and smiled. He didn't joke now, and his eyes held the steely frost of someone well-versed in death.
He leveled his gun and fired a shot straight into the middle of a group before breaking left and past them. It was a draw. Gell used himself as bait to pull them away from Angel.
It worked! mostly. The shot angered the creatures and they gave chase. Gell drew the plasma cord cartridge and fired it at the nearest warrior splinter ahead of him, wrapping it before it could react and pouncing on it.

"I think I'll need a little help." Gell used his scrim ability and pried into the chaotic void of its mind. He felt it struggle, and submit. The others were almost on him, but he let the creature up and it flew at them. In the moment of confusion Gell rushed forward, to the maintenance doors. He would need the codes to start one of the Badgers.
Angel was already headed to one. Good.

Gell pushed through the doors and swiped a code brick off the wall, through the glass windows he could see out into the bay. He saw the splinter detonating, the ensuing explosion and...

Angels' name was ripped away from his lips by the deafening blast. It blew through the glass and threw Gell backward in a spray of glittering shards. He hit the ground hard and felt pain.
His ears rang, his head swam, but he forced himself to his feet.
He could feel the warm sting of a scratch on his cheek, where the glass had cut him, but the panic rising in his chest cut deeper.
Gell dove through the window into the smoke-filled bay and the aftermath of the detonation. Splinters lay in pieces, covered in a settling dust, it burned his eyes.

He cast around frantically, trying to calculate where Angel would have been thrown.
Gell retracted his steps. Even now he could see dark shapes moving slowly in the dust. The splinters were recovering.
Then he caught it, a shock of blond, powdered grey from the fallout, but it was him.

Gell closed the distance to him in seconds. Sliding to a kneel beside him. A quick first aid check. Nothing broken. Good.
The scrim let out the breath he'd been holding, and suddenly his limbs felt like jelly. Alive. Angel was alive.

"I got you." Gell whispered, and his face softened for just a moment.

Slowly Gell lifted Angel's arm to put it around his shoulders. He noted another badger that would suit their needs. They needed to make it to that.
"Can you stand?" Gell asked, signing the question as well, to help Angel understand over the probable torment of the WISPs and his own disorientation.

A slow hissing drew his attention, as an archer splinter threw off the slab of concrete that had pinned it, levelling a barbed dart straight at Gell's chest.



mizton Wilder28

Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[SirDerpingtonIV]

Surge

Natalie Welles

Codename: H A M M E R

Vehicle Bay

With thunderous footfalls, Natalie had turned about, advancing back towards the Vehicle Bay from where she had been headed - towards the Comms Relay. The cracks of gunfire and distant explosions echoed through the fortress-city. Sounds Natalie could fall asleep to, at this point. Though it was an entirely different thing to hear them in a place that was supposed to be safe.

The objective had changed, and so too did Natalie's trajectory. New priority, new movement. She kept thumping along, each footstep a drum, heralding doom for the cultists and the beasts. It was all getting worse. Legrange levels were rising, and from what she could hear over comms, crucial locations were falling across the fortress. But she could not do anything for those fighting here. There was a mission to be done. A vehicle to secure. At least she coudl see the building up ahead as she trundled towards it. Large, cold, gray, as if the corpse of a great beast, laid low with the rest of the world. It was pitiful, really. What it'd all bec-

Splinter, twenty meters, right. Doorway. As if by instinct, Natalie's left wrist raised, pointed towards the creature as it barrelled out of the building, charging towards her. The beast made it no more than a stride from the doorway it emerged form before she squeezed her fingers together and the splinter's momentum was stopped instantly by the hail of lead. She altered her path, stomping over to the splinter as it writhed on the ground, one of its spiked limbs barely hanging on, a leg torn clean off by the shotgun blast. The beast shrieked aloud, raising itself to defend against her before her steel boot came down, the weight of her several-ton suit crushing its head into the pavement in a singular motion, splattering it against the pavement. Then she turned back to the road and kept going.

The door of the garage hung open, the distended maw of the industrial corpse. Inside she could see the badgers figures, and light. Gunfire. Natalie shifted her arm, slotted out the scatter-shot with a slug in the wrist-mounted Mauler. Just as she darkened the doorway of the garage with her presence, the Badger burst into a fireball that filled the space with fire and thunderous sound. Natalie raised a single, massive, steel-clad arm infront of her face to shield herself from the shrapnel - and her eyes from the light, even as shards of metal richoeted harmlessly off the titanium plating.

Natalie stepped through the smoke, suffocating flames underfoot as she took in the sight of the freshly-cooked vehicle bay. Splinter corpses lie across the room, too stupid not to have blown themselves up. Hearing shouts, her eyes quickly found Gell aiding a wounded Angel, helping the other man stand. Natalie took a path towards them, noting the red that stained both their uniforms. She was about to make comment on it, when she heard the shift of concrete. Once more, she raised that left arm, her eyes finding an archer. The beast arose from the pile of rubble it had lie in, a barb ready, though Natalie's finger was already squeezing down. The slug's impact took the creature in the side of the head, obliterating the skull and all its contents in an instant, as if she'd punched it with her great, metal hands. The beast fell to the right, away from her shot.

"More of them will come," Natalie declared, the usual drunken mumbling absent from her voice. It seems that violence sobered her up quick. Soon enough she was by their side, the Cannibal in her suit's extra hands kept raised, pointed outward. She stood between them and the rest of the open room, where other beasts could emerge. "Check the other vehicle if you can. I will guard you." Natalie stepped out from them then, moving forward, slowly, weapons raised. Any movement would receive her attention, any threat her lead. The soldier would do whatever she could to ensure they crossed that garage - and arrived at the other side in one piece.

SilverFlight mizton Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[Wilder28]

Surge

Damien Harte

Codename: QUIETUS

Mentions: SilverFlight mizton SirDerpingtonIV

Vehicle Bay

Damien was disappointed. But not surprised.

That the affair at the Comms Tower had gone well was a blessing. It was a risky endeavor, to be sure, but it'd paid off, and he'd have been lying if he'd said that he wasn't grateful for that. But he knew as well as anyone that whatever luck they'd had to carry them through that, it probably wasn't going to last them. So while he kept his eyes ahead and focused on the next stage of their mission, he made sure not to get his hopes up.

The path to the vehicle bay was a pretty straightforward one, naturally rife with combat - perhaps moreso than the way to the Tower had been. Of course, the reason why was clear: With the fall of the Firmament and the rapid deterioration of the Fortress's defenses, the Blight was only growing stronger. And by extension, so too were the Corruptants.

But that wasn't anything they couldn't handle. He alone had already had the power to either slip by or take on most of the threats that he'd encountered thus far. And now that he had a team? If ever there was a burden, it felt almost as if it'd been lifted.

Granted, it wasn't much. Vulpes had up and disappeared somewhere within the fray, and while he obviously hoped for the best, he doubted she'd be coming back anytime soon - if at all. And Angel, invaluable as he'd been, seemed damn near incapacitated by what he could only guess was a debilitating headache, likely the result of either the rising Lagrange levels or the effort he'd expended in retaking the Tower. Or both. Effectively, all that really left was him and Gell, who was fortunately quite an effective warrior. Between the two of them, with the Scrim taking the lead and Damien covering his (and Angel's) bases from the shadows, they made quite an effective team, cutting a swath of destruction through whatever dared to stand in their way.

It almost felt like old times.

Then they reached the vehicle bay. And that was when the disappointment started to settle in.

The Splinter Horde that had overridden the place was one thing. Given the amount of time they'd dedicated to the Comms Tower, it didn't surprise him that that little detour had cost them. It was unfortunate, but it was what it was. At the very least, they still had a decent shot at their objective, and they'd managed to do some extra good in reaching it. Safe to say, it could've been worse.

Unfortunately, it was shortly after he'd figured this that things did get worse.

The battle that ensued within the hanger had been going well enough, with Gell going out of his way to bait most of the Splinters after him. Taking advantage of this, Damien followed up by going into stealth mode and dispatching the stragglers, before following up on Gell's assault by tearing into the rest of the horde with a blazing Incendium. With the controlled Splinter he'd set upon the rest, the resulting confusion made it a fair bit easier for him to cut them all down.

It was around then that things went south, when he caught sight of one particular Splinter that just so happened to be positioned near the very vehicle they were aiming to secure. He doubted it was intentional, but if it were on some level, he sure wouldn't have been all that surprised, because the way that Splinter blew itself up and took the vehicle with it was entirely too inconvenient for his liking.

Realizing what was about to happen just a moment before it did, he used that remaining split second to bring up Aegis, bracing himself in time for it to take the brunt of the explosion. Had he been closer, it might've been enough to seriously damage the shield, if not shatter it entirely. But as it was, it held strongly enough against the initial shockwave, allowing him to at least keep his footing; and any shrapnel that was sent his way bounced harmlessly off of its surface, sparing his suit from damage.

By the time things had settled, the Badger was all but a smoldering wreck, and his teammates were scattered about, no doubt disoriented. He was a little staggered himself, but given his penchant for explosives, he'd witnessed enough of them to know how to deal. It wouldn't take him long to recover.

Luckily, many of the Splinters that he hadn't already slain had been eradicated by the blast, and those that weren't were only just starting to rise again. If he was quick, he could put them down permanently, before they became a problem again.

And that's what he set out to do. Lowering Aegis and brandishing Incendium, he prepared to dart forward and wipe out the rest of the Corruptants before him, as many as he could manage.

It was only then, while he was scanning the room to discern which he should take on first, that he saw one particular Splinter - an Archer - preparing to launch itself at Gell, who at this point was too preoccupied with Angel to notice.

At that moment, Damien locked in, his body beginning to glow with a yellow-gold light as he channeled his resonance, preparing to launch himself in its direction with all his might; even with his suit's Dash function, that was probably the only way he could get to it in time.

But as it turned out, that wasn't necessary, as indicated by the sound of thundering gunshots that resonated throughout the chamber. Turning toward its source, he found himself gazing upon a fairly familiar sight: That of a piloted mech, armored with titanium and armed with heavy artillery. He recognized it almost right away as Hammer's mech, which was a distinct enough sight that he'd have been hard-pressed to forget. She'd dispatched his target - or, well, her target now - with cold, pin-point efficiency. And he knew right then, even before she said it, that she had them all covered.

With that in mind, he abandoned his previous goal of slaughtering the remaining Splinters, at least to an extent. She'd have that handled. All he had to do now was make his way to their back-up vehicle. The only ones he'd kill were the ones that were in the way.

"I got it."

Terse and to the point, Damien then launched himself forward with that very same strength boost he'd have used against the Archer, only directing himself now toward the Badger troop carrier that had become their new target. It seemed a downgrade from their previous one, but it wasn't as if they had any choice. They got what they got; all that mattered now was that it'd work.

Now uncloaked, Damian streaked across the room in a black-and-gold blur, setting upon the carrier in a matter of seconds and scrambling to find the way inside.

Code by Serobliss

 

[Bharani]

Atunity

Mei Liu

Codename: QILIN

VEHICLE BAY

Man, all this shaking and rumbling sure made it hard to orient oneself! That was her second wrong turn on her way to the Vehicle Bay, but maybe she was still on time to only be fashionably late? Part of her wasn't entirely too keen on emerging from the maintenance tunnels into whatever sort of battle was going on up there...buuuuuuut...on the other hand, she'd already spent long enough in these dreary, drab, improperly illuminated, ISO-non-compliant hallways. It was starting to feel more like a liminal space she'd gotten lost in rather than the safest path to her destination. Well, she had a new job now, and an important one at that (though the specifics were left out), so best get to it!
...if only she can open the sunk in hatch within one lifetime. Seriously, who designed this place...

Banging on the bent metal didn't result in much, except perhaps attracting the attention of whatever was topside. All she could really tell was there was something up there. Which, really, Mei wasn't exactly interested in dealing with either! Ahw well. Guess that leaves plan B.
Soon after the handful of knocks made their way outside from beneath the metal panel, a small, shiny hook would do likewise - just barely piercing the hatch, then attaching to it securely. The next moment, hook and panel both were pulled down, finally freeing the path up for Mei. Success! Heh. Who said rollerblades wouldn't be useful underground?

Hoisting herself over the previously covered manhole, the Atunity escaped the tunnels which she had been traversing ever since being given a location and a goal. Join up with the squad at the bay, deliver a short message, and then all travel via Badger to the boss lady! Easy! Or so she had told herself during the trip, now having slight second thoughts seeing how that place was looking more like a battlefield than a garage, frankly. Ope, speaking of attracting attention...

From her gloved hand, an almost-spherical object was rolled out and towards the approaching skittering sounds. "Entertain 'em for a bit, Meowmere." Before the curious Splinter could find the source of the knocking, its investigative efforts were cut short by a thick cloud of purple smoke. Chuckling to herself, Mei used the opportunity given to her by the grenade to roll away from the scene, and towards the open doors of the nearest, explosion-addled building; the vehicle bay.

It didn't take long for her wheels to be rendered inadequate after going through the threshold of the massive doors. So much rubble on the floor she could taste the detritus! Of course, her helmet protected her from most of the dust and smoke, but it wasn't exactly airtight. With a shunk, her boots returned to normal, and so did the masked fellow begin walking around looking for...well, that's a good question. There was a lot of Resonance going on indoors, but after that, well...she had no clear picture of who to search for, just some names. Or where to search at! Did they really need all this parking space? It's not like they kept the VECTORs here!

Ah to hell with it. "Nihaooooo. Hammer? Inugamiiii?" Standing on her toe tips to see over a part of the collapsed ceiling she was hiding behind, Mei tried to focus her attention towards the tighter concentration of resonance. "Team ah, well actually I wasn't told the team name or any passwords BUT, uh, here I am!" The glowing yellow eyes of the helmet went back and forth, trying to find some sort of landmark like an official looking vehicle, or maybe - ah, yeah, maybe that giant suit of armor, around where most of the smoke was coming from. Yeah. Maybe start there, Mei.

Jumping up so she was easier to find (not that the purples and yellows of her outfit were exactly camouflaged), the new arrival waved frantically in Nat's direction, really seriously hoping she'd gotten the right people. And that they knew she was coming! They...knew that, right? She wasn't just showing up to an active battlefield as backup for a group that didn't know they were getting it, right...?

After making her location clear to the group (and hopefully the least amount of splinters possible), Mei vaulted over the rock, hurrying over to their side. "Boss lady said to get the car going asap, something about MJ and Mono and-ah, oh. Are you alright?." Finally close enough to see Gell and Angel, the masked Edenis noticed how battered they both looked. Although one of them certainly had it worse. "Yee-ikes. Here, gimme some of that!"
With a twirl of her finger and a flick of her wrist, a wave of golden lights would fly between her and the wounded Seraph, almost reminiscent of fireflies (for anyone who'd seen those before.) Immediately, she would threaten to fall down onto her knees, while the worst of the pain would leave Angel's body.

"Hahah, whew...still can't get used to that..." Regaining her balance, Mei shook her head, trying her best to adjust to the siphoned hurt she'd taken. One of the eyes on the mask would close, forming a > shape, as if attempting to recreate a wink. Even if the real face beneath that was wincing. "So, the car! Car car car car car." Trying to distract herself, she once again looked around, settling onto the flaming wreck of what once was a Badger transport vehicle. "...that's not it right?"

SilverFlight mizton Lekiel Wilder28 SirDerpingtonIV

Code by Serobliss

 

[Juju]

Scrim / Handler

Brigitte Lefèvre

Codename: JUBILEE

Research Facility

Lekiel seasonedcat
Brigitte had been Monarch’s handler for a while now, so she was quick to notice a change in his demeanour. She glanced back to him whenever she could, between dodging acid or splinter claws. As far as she could tell he was still stable, and she intended to keep it that way. Above the shrieks and blood and cracks, her cheery voice stuck out like a landbound fish.

“Monarch, mon cher!” she called out to him, rolling to the side to avoid a splinter’s pounce. Two shots into its head was enough to send it rag-dolling to the ground, “Joie de vivre, my friend! This could be our last moments on earth, the final stand of humanity! Why waste it wearing a frown? Smile, and take in the atmosphere!”

She observed him again, content that Jupiter seemed to have remained stable. The mental attacks would be tearing at him relentlessly, but all she could do was reassure him and hope the medications kept him intact.

Beside her, Francis had finally taken on more than it could handle. Though she could help the hacked splinter fend off the warrior tearing apart its head, she decided to let it naturally cull off the hacked splinter. Once the battle of the fittest had ended, she forced her mind into the victor, suppressing it to her will and sending it to intercept its kin. The warrior tore into another, which was finished off by a powerful bash from Bessy.

“My, I would kill to take some samples! Guess field observations will have to do.” She sighed, reloading her gun with more experimental ammo and unleashing it upon an archer down the hallway. The chitin-shot hardened shortly after impact, gluing the creature’s jaws together. “Oh wonderful. Test 12.5 is a success! I had a good feeling about this prototype!”

With a hiss, the door to the incubator storage finally gave way to Monarch’s hacking. That was one task done, but it also revealed yet another obstacle. The incubator itself was massive, and although it had a harness for a resonator to use, it was utterly useless to the two resonators standing before it. Quite tragic, really.

“My, where’s that beefcake Natalie when you need her…” Brigitte laughed as she glanced at the hefty contraption. As unlucky as it was, she wasn’t about to give up. “Well, Monarch, it’s time to get creative. Hold off the enemy splinters, please! Bessy and I will handle this.”

Tugged by the unspoken command, the shield splinter halted its current action and lumbered over to Brigitte. Dutifully, it picked up the incubator and began to lift. That is, until something strange occurred. Briggite felt her control over the splinter slip, something extremely rare for a hivelord such as herself. After a moment, the splinter completely stopped heeding her commands, opting to curl up on the ground as if in sleep.

“What’s this?” Brigitte muttered, walking closer to inspect the uncooperative splinter. Despite being out of her control, it was not attacking her. To test its limit, Brigitte laid a hand on its carapace, but the creature made no response. It was as tame as a lamb.

Brigitte watched as the splinter’s form began to quickly degrade into a pile of ‘dust’. Eyes wide with shock and wonder, Brigitte could see flowers rise up from the ashes, their stalks and petals made of delicate crystal. Unable to resist her curiosity, Brigitte kneeled down to pluck one of the blooms from its bed.

She could feel the glimmer of resonance from it, though different from any she had ever sensed. It was like a breath of purest, fresh air, unlike the heat of stirred flames that the usual resonance was made of. Balanced between Brigitte’s fingers, the flower quickly began to disintegrate into little, brilliant sparks, and was no more.

The battle raged around Brigitte, but she hardly noticed. Her eyes reflected the dying light of the flower, but a glow had sparked in her eyes. This was a completely new discovery. Perhaps one of the most important she had ever stumbled upon. She didn’t know exactly what this meant, but in her bones she could feel a shift in everything she had ever known.

Whatever this was, it could possibly change everything.

Code by Serobliss

 

[Lekiel]

Galvode

Yurica Aeterna

Codename: Nightingale

FSF ANGELA - WESTERN SECTOR

Bone white fingers clutched at the cool steel syringe injectors at her side, pointedly retrieved from the body of her fallen comrade. The object of her gaze, a petite asian woman with hair the colour of ravens. To any other, it would just appear that the woman was just staring into the distance. A telltale press of fingers to her temple. But she was not ‘any other’.

The Agent could ‘feel’ it. One didn’t need to be an Atune to notice an Echo struggle to hold their fragmented minds. It was almost as if it were the tingling of white noise intensifying in her head as the rapidly rising Lagrange Particles washed over her. No. All it took is to bear witness to the moment those deranged psychos lost it to the voices in the head and turn to reap the soul of a loved one right before your eyes.

Aeria. Her fallen sister’s name came unbidden.

She was the kindest of them. Soft spoken but with words that bore the weight of seriousness, a solid presence to the eccentricity of Nagale’s idiosyncrasies. Always believing in the strength of character and will. But ultimately, it was a weakness that killed her.

Yurica remembered the moment as clearly as yesterday. The day bits and blood of her sister rained down on her face because she refused to kill the dissonating Echo who’d begged for his life. ‘Belief’, like much that was in this world, was a double-edged sword.

She released the buckles of the pouch at her side, fingers ready to pull out the Severants at a moment’s notice. But Shrike turned her gaze to her and Nightingale could see the flicker of conflict wrestling in her irises.

It was enough.

“Let’s go,” the pouch secured back into position, Nightingale beckoned the other to follow her into the facility in search of their teammates and the incubator.

◇ ◇ ◇​

“Quietly, follow them!”

It was easy enough to track both Jubilee and Monarch amidst the trashed and bloodied hallways of the bio-facility. Yurica had been to the place before, and they only had to trail after several chittering warrior Splinters as they headed deeper into the basement, no doubt in response to some hivemind's direction.

Once or twice, Yurica thought she might've heard a dispairing wail pleeding for help, mayhap one of their own research scientists who could not escape in the but she ignored it, choosing instead to press on resolutely. They were behind time, she just knew it.

A blip on her HUD followed by a buzz of static in her earpiece confirmed the location of the two and they burst from cover, cutting down the splinters with a surprise attack.

“Jubilee. Monarch,” Yurica acknowledged the two with a curt nod, noticing with some relief that they were pretty roughed up but otherwise in good shape, “we need to get going, we need to be ready to leave when the others get here with-”

Yurica paused mid sentence when she caught sight of what appeared to be a pile of soil with gleaming flowers at Jubilee's feet, mouth opened to question but with a sudden foreboding realisation stopped her train of thought as she suddenly felt a hot flush that boiled up through her spine. The Resonance within her was reacting to something. She'd only felt it once before, the day Sanctum Aaru fell.

“Did you guys feel-” whatever words that left her lips was interrupted with a deafening roar that shook the very foundations of the bio-facility and hammered into her skull, so much so that she had to clutch her head in pain. It was a if a giant piece of fatigued metal was being bent out of shape somewhere above. It was quickly followed by a loud crash like that of a huge sheets of aluminium slamming together.

“We're leaving NOW!” The Agent grabbed the incubator and with the help of one of the others harnessed it onto her back. She could still move freely, though the weight proved a hindrance preventing her from properly defending herself.

The group took off through the hallways and staircases, carving their way through the massing Splinters as they could not afford to slow down until they could finally see the greylight filtering through the shattered glass of the front doors. Charging forwards, they burst out into the open just as a huge red pillar slammed into the ground before them, the shockwave and debris sending the Resonators flying to the ground winded.

warn-zzz. . . Zzzt -GRANGE zzzt level three. . .

Code by Serobliss

◇ ◇ ◇Mentions: SilverFlight mizton Sharatayn seasonedcat Wilder28 Juju SirDerpingtonIV FabulousTrash Dicentra

GM Notes:
Shits falling, it's time to leave!

1. Team Yurica has finally reunited. But was forced to leave immediately upon sensing some dire disturbances. But as they just escaped the crumbling building something huge and glowing red the size of a huge pillar with a width of a house slammed into the ground sending them flying. Winded, as they struggled to recompose themselves they might notice blueish incorporeal figures lurching towards them. Their faces and forms marred by iridescent static like that of a ruined computer screen, and their mouths open to emit distorted white noise. Attacks do nothing to harm them, either going right through or being absorbed. All the while, the sounds of groaning and crashing of metal echoed from up above.

2. It's about time Team 2 got into the remaining Badger and head off to pickup their comrades. The Badger always to be stocked with some supplies though it clearly appears to be insufficient, what with the empty racks but there was no other choice. As they picked a driver among themselves, they'd quickly zoom off towards the Western section of FSF ANGELA where the research facilities are. But as they drove onwards, plowing through Splinters and Pythagoreans alike they would notice the gradual and eventual lack of enemies. Until the final turn, they would see why as the air, rife with LAGRANGE Particles washed over them like a thick viscous liquid at the same time they hear the loud crashing sounds that echoed through the tall buildings. Drifting up in the sky was a huge Decoded, as if hundreds of sea creatures like whales, octopus and squids had been melted together resembling a twisted mass of greys and gleaming pinks, huge pink tentacles flailed around smashing through the surrounding buildings on a rampage. Even then, the wreckage flew haphazardly through the air rising and falling sometimes dissappearing completely with sudden static and appearing somewhere else. As they approached, they too would see the smaller Decoded lurching through the streets. It was the beginnings of a Blightstorm, caused by the giant Decoded, and they would have to go through it to find their comrades.

 

[Dicentra]

Galvode

Sylphira Obrończyk

Codename: Dove

FSF ANGELA - WESTERN SECTOR

It all happened so fast. The chaos erupted in an instant, the deafening crash of the pillar shattering the hope of serenity. Sylphira felt herself hurtled into the air amidst a storm of debris, her body battered and bruised as she descended back to the ground. The impact jolted her, her promontory armor clashing against unforgiving surfaces, her knees scraping against jagged edges, leaving trails of broken skin in their wake. As she landed with a thud, a sharp pain seared through her forehead, a small trickle of ichor staining her skin. And then, it all went black.

As darkness shadowed her vision and her mind drifted into numbness, the world around her became a clamor of crashing rubble. Each sound seemed to echo the weight of exhaustion that pulled at her body, tempting her to surrender to the urge to rest. They had been running for what felt like an eternity, and the weariness threatened to consume her. Yet, amidst the chaos, a voice within her cried out, reminding her that yielding was not an option. Not yet. Despite the pain and the exhaustion, she knew she had to persevere, to push through and continue the fight - for if she fell asleep, who knew when she would awaken again?

Slowly raising her body, she forced the fog of dizziness to lift off. With each passing moment, she pushed the lingering effects of her concussion to dwindle away, to compel her mind clearer. There was no time for weakness, no room for hesitation - not when they had a mission to complete. With a sluggish motion, she brushed away the blood on her forehead with the back of her glove - though the metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth.

Once standing, Sylphira's concern shifted to her teammates, particularly Nightingale - the group's leader. Though this was her first official mission alongside the woman, Sylphira was well aware of Yurica's reputation. Once revered for her inspiring presence, Nightingale's stature was gossiped among the ranks of FSF Katerina, serving as a source of inspiration for agents within FSF Meera as well. Understanding the importance of her safety, Sylphira resolved to prioritize protecting her commander above all else, even at the risk of her own well-being. Despite the lingering ache in her knees from the impact of the fall, she mustered the strength to step toward the redhead. However, before she could fully turn her attention to Yurica, the noise of new entities nearing them sent a shiver down her spine.

As the dust settled, her vision was drawn to the approaching figures. They emerged from the haze like ghosts, their forms wavering and indistinct, reminiscent of images flickering on a broken screen. There was something eerie about their appearance, as if they were not quite of this world. She watched, a sense of unease creeping over her, as they drew closer, their movements jerky and unnatural. Sylphira's heart raced as she beheld the strange beings looming. Each mission seemed to unveil a new horror, a fresh challenge to overcome. There was no respite in their line of work, no room for complacency.

With a momentary glance around, Sylphira realized she was the first to stir from the chaos. Her teammates lay scattered, still coming to their senses, she presumed. Despite the cry of her mind urging her to flee, she knew she couldn't abandon her fight. With gritted teeth and trembling limbs, she braced her stance, her shield raised defiantly against the encroaching threat.

As one of the peculiar figures drew nearer, emitting a strange static noise from its gaping mouth, Sylphira's senses were thrashed by an overwhelming static. The discordant noise cut through the air like a sharp knife, plunging into her ears with a relentless intensity that felt like it could tear them apart.

At that moment, an oppressive weight settled upon her, imbuing her mind with a numbing haze and sending her stomach lurching with sickening unease. The relentless pounding in her head intensified, each beat echoing like a drum heralding impending ruin. Despite the overwhelming dread creeping into her bones, Sylphira had no option to renounce. And so, with grim determination, she assumed her role as the group's shield, bracing herself against the advancing enemy. Gripping her shield tightly, she positioned herself in front of her teammates, her heart racing as she prayed for someone to find a way out of the dire plight.


Lekiel Juju seasonedcat FabulousTrash

Code by Serobliss

 

[mizton]

Machine Savant

Angel Salvatierra

Codename: SERAPH

VEHICLE BAY > FSF ANGELA - WESTERN SECTOR

Maybe he did pass out. What was quickly becoming a tide of voices that ebbed & flowed like his current ability to focus his vision soon subsided enough for Angel to make out the voices of his teammates through stuttering comms blaring into his skull. The pressure behind his eyes was nearing insanity, threatening lightheadedness when Gell had initially asked for his ability to stand. With half-lidded eyes, he gave a heavy & lopping nod towards his handlers & the subsequent ally that had come to his rescue.

Like a titanium bastion, Hammer stood before them tall enough to cast shadow: a shield between the vehicle & the corruptants threatening its safety. It was rare that Angel felt a sort of early ease amongst a team as new as this one, but it was hard not to relax in the state he was in; any misstep toward the new Badger threatened his person to collapse, so it might've been gratitude he was experiencing. The urgency of the immediate two beside him served to inspire & sober him up. With a swipe of a plated hand across his wet brow, Angel's features hardened in his reply, "Sure. Good deal."

One of his coverts flexed & came alive with a burst of flickering green to cover the side of him that wasn't been upheld by his handler. By all means, his shields were going to be in a tattered condition for at least the rest of the day. The others might've been online, but to call for them would've pushed Gell away & Angel wasn't exactly in the best condition to be walking on his own. Give him half an hour, maybe; the Resonator in him would have him patched up in no time.

Though suddenly, with a flood of what looked to be WISP, seemingly flitted through him & took with them the worst of his pain. The sensation even seeming to have an effect on his mind's barrage, though that last part might've been imagined. Confused, Angel's head tilted up to look... down at a cat mask. His eyes darted across its features to discern any sort of Echo resemblance. Finding none of the mutuality he tended to in meeting other Savants, his shoulders fell & recovered only to almost ask, "Who the..."

Whiplash, to say the least. Maybe it was the disgruntled soldier in him, but he lamented the revocation of uniform standards of the RCL a while back. Looking her over, he decided her to a last minute assignment & chose not to confirm, "Ah, I get it. Alright, sure." With a back now only a little sore thanks to the assumed Atunity, Angel straightened up & decided, "Better you than me." Though said with a lilt that might've suggested a joke, the dismissive glance casted down at her couldn't have lent more to his honesty.

"Right," he confirmed, while his mind latched onto his word — r-right, right, ight... riiiiiiiigghtt-t-t-t — in her reference to the burning Badger that would've made their escape vehicle. With little interest in hearing more voices to feed his mania, he nodded toward his handler & dashed after Quietus with a propulsion charge that had come online at that point.

"One of you: take the wheel & get us moving. Another more minute here & we're no better than dead," came Angel's barked command — dead, dead, hea-he-h-h-hhheeaaad — toward either Gell, Quietus, or the cat mask with no rank besides right to do so. While his HUD blared confirmation, the blond could already tell the air's Lagrange Particles were already approaching dangerous conditions. The red 2 in his top left periphery made him spit a curse in learning. As if given cue, the sky above turned to a slight hailstorm that began to pelt down on the garage's iron roof, sounding more like a frequent thunder from the way the sound reverberated throughout the vehicle bay.

—

Whoever did got them moving within five & Angel was grateful for it. Potholed was the drive out as a result of the fallout's debris. The road beyond the vehicle's front windshield was one either maneuvering or bulldozing through the wreckage & marred aftermath of both enemy Corruptants & allied bay personnel. The minimap at the top right of the Badger's wavering HUD read their direction to be headed west as they zoomed through FSF ANGELA, towards the research facilities that Angel had graced no more than a week ago for when he'd been called in for observations.

Back then, the sight was nearly idyllic in comparison to the one seen today. Actually, perhaps not to dissimilar as — just the way it was last week — there were hardly any enemies. What once were streets lined with faux foliage & holoboards advertising the daily Lagrange forecast, were now all toppled & showing warnings that read simply WARNING, EMERGENCY, or some kind of EVACUATE mention in blaring red text, not unlike the report he'd seen within his own suit's HUD display. A looming '2' in his top left periphery that blinked into a stark & crimson '3' as they made a final turn towards Western ANGELA.

Angel stood still beside the Resonator manning the wheel, steadied only by a hand at the driver's headrest & another at their shoulder, gaze locked towards the road like a watchtower guard surveying his assignment with an intensity that wavered only when the vehicle jolted & even then only barely. As a result, it was Angel who'd first experience the effects of the storm they were headed into. Like a wave rushing over him, visualized with the aid of a delusional parasitosis in his periphery, a slight burning sensation bore within the Savant's lungs as the air grew thick & difficult to breathe comfortably within.

Before sight came sensation & then sound as Angel's mind was again ablast with the cacophony that had come from that final turn. The voices of people beyond the car & his own flooded his thoughts, mangling with his own to create speeches of self-doubt & uncertainty within him, all backtracked by the discordant mass of clanging metal that resounded through the buildings all around. As if offended by the sudden onset of earsplitting, Angel ducked towards the edge of the windshield to catch glimpse of the above atmosphere.

Still, no more disturbed than a man inconvenienced than by bird shit at his shoulder, Angel deadpanned at the expansive mass of tendrils that reflected the sky's colors & tangled it with an awful pink & grey: "Are we all seeing this? Is it just me?"

The blond urged the cabin behind him to approach the front of the vehicle to come see the massive Decoded overhead, traversing buildings as if it were that one giant lizard monster he'd seen in old video games. At that point, what with the increasing effects of Blight on an already unstable Savant, not even his vision could be believed. Truly, he was otherwise navigating the hellscape both effectively blind & unhearing. Now, even when the streets were beginning to clear up, he'd conjured images of apparent allies — human forms, at the very least — that flickered like blue holograms & manifested with the call of static. Angel bit out a curse in finding difficulty distinguishing what was real versus imagined. Finally, he pulled his attention away from the window to look back at allies whose persons were luckily still here, this relief apparent on his features as he turned back at them. Part of him winced in turning back, half-expecting to lay eyes on corpses dragged in while he'd been hallucinating.

Not yet.

SirDerpingtonIV Bharani SilverFlight Wilder28 Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[SilverFlight]

Scrim // Handler

Gell Watanabe

Codename: INUGAMI

Vehicle Bay >>> Western FSF ANGELA

Gell saw the splinter too late. He shielded his face with the arm not supporting Angel, only to hear the wet explosion of the creatures head as Natalie's slug hit it. The corpse flew back and slid to a stop amid a pile of concrete bits and broken wiring.

"Glad you could make it Hammer." Gell said it with the breath he'd been holding. He turned his attention back to Angel, the savant wasn't looking good, and Gell didn't even need to see the state of him to know the danger in the air was rising. Angel was right, they needed to get the last Badger working yesterday. By some miracle, Gell managed to help the savant to his feet, but he froze when a new face appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Gell's free hand went to his gun instinctively, but he hesitated when he saw the girl clearly.

"I don't remember being briefed about you." Gell said with mild suspicion. The Sons of Pythagoras were tricky bastards, it wouldn't be beyond them to try and plant an operative. Then she began speaking about the mission. No, she was clear. Gell watched as she began to heal Angel. He looked at her with a new sense of relief.
"You're an atunity!" Gell cracked half a smile. For a split second he saw his brother Gray, smiling back at him in the girl's place. He shook the vision from his head. Gray was dead, he reminded himself, and the pain of that snapped him back to the moment.

The girl nearly overbalanced with her exertion and Gell put out a hand to steady her, but she managed on her own.
"You're right. That Badger over there is still intact. Follow Quietus!"
Damien had managed to find the only undamaged (more or less) vehicle left in the bay, maybe they were lucky after all...
Angel made the move first, and Gell followed quickly behind, covering them for any more surprise splinter attacks.

Though the outside of the vehicle was scarred from the blast, the inside was intact. Gell made “I’ll take the wheel, but not before I know you’re okay,” he told his charge stubbornly. Gell pressed a dose of the tablets into Angel's hand. Once he was sure Angel was secure, he swung himself into the driver's seat, powering the systems using the code brick he'd swiped from the maintenance rooms.

The armoured truck roared to life as its headlights flared.
In every direction now, the surviving splinters were regrouping, screeching and skittering across the ruined floor, animate shards of black obsidian, sharp and hungry.
Gell flashed the headlights twice.
"All aboard! Let's blow this junk heap! Now!"
Gell reconfigured the controls while his team got settled into the badger, taking an inventory using the kit manifest in the system’s computer. He made a face. “We’re stocked but just barely. If we make it out of this, I see a scavenger run in our near future…”

Once the last of the team was inside and the doors secured Gell shifted the vehicle into gear. “Everyone strapped in? Yeah? Okay! Hold onto your butts!”

The Badger tore through the hanger doorway, crushing concrete and splinters alike as Gell floored the pedal. Eyes flitting back and froth from the road to the computer he entered the rendezvous coordinates at the lab and calibrated the route.

Their path set, Gell turned a corner, maneuvering the large vehicle as best he could. “Not used to something so big, but I’ll get the hang of it.” He assured the crew, and Angel, who was now leaning over the driver seat. Gell was true to his word. With every turn and maneuver the vehicle’s ride became smoother. Gell was a fast learner with tech.

All the experience in the world would not prepare him for what came next however: An alarm blared from the console: WARNING - Lagrange level 3, but Gell hardly needed the alarm, the atmosphere around them felt like it was turning to jello. Gell was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness and the loud, toruous sound of the creature bombarded his sensitive ears. He gritted his teeth against it and flipped a few switches, powering down the AI-assisted driving system, no sense inviting Spliced into the mix. He would have to control the badger completely manually from here on out.

“Everyone! Go find some gear to help deal with the blight! It should be stowed in the rear compartment!” He turned back to the road as the buildings on one side fell away, either destroyed or the materials repurposed, either way it revealed the giant decoded abomination, floating like a bloated, fleshy cloud over the cityscape. He felt the savant lean towards the window beside him, looking at it.

“No, I see it too Angel...You know, I always wanted to go whale watching.” Gell muttered to his friend, “Never thought the whales would come and find me…”

He watched as a massive pink tentacle came down in the distance, seemingly in slow motion, cutting its way through a skyscraper and sending its remnants flying. It was getting worse on the road too; Gell swerved to dodged part of a bridge that had come crashing down into the lane before them.

The scrim twisted the wheel and then threw it back, forcing the badger to drift, sliding around the obstacle without losing too much momentum.

“Okay okay, we've all seen the chimeric freakshow, back to the horrors in front of us; Angel! If you have to be up front then grab a seat will you? You’re gonna get a concussion!"

He called back louder: "Hey Hammer, Quietus! I’m not sure the hull and withstand a direct hit from some of those debris chunks, think you can get up the roof and keep them off us?”

Gell did his best to keep the badger steady while the others did what they needed to do. The driving became even more perilous when smaller decoded began popping up here and there, and the further they went, the more there were. The driving was getting more and more difficult, it took all of Gell's focus to keep them going at the needed speed and keep them from wrecking on the ever-increasing hazards.

“Almost there!” Gell called back. It was getting harder to breathe, but he couldn't lose focus, not even for a second. He only hoped the other team was waiting for them…

SirDerpingtonIV Wilder28 mizton Bharani

Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[SirDerpingtonIV]

Surge

Natalie Welles

Codename: H A M M E R

Vehicle Bay - > Western Sector

Hammer gave little acknowledgement of Quietus as he spoke, though she moved alongside him as he made his way to the Badger. He was much faster of course, so she followed behind, but her bullets were faster still - and so she gave him cover. Her advance was unshakeable and obvious, whatever Splinters remained in the room focusing on her instead of her smaller, more vulnerable allies. Luckily, there was little left to trouble them in here, as most of the foe had already been mopped up. Nonetheless, Natalie's shotgun dispatched two more Splinter Warriors as they emerged from vents and crawlspaces,

With Quietus inside the Badger and the others moving towards it in his wake, Hammer looked to the new arrival, callsign: Qilin. The woman's visage was not one Hammer recognized, and she regarded the starnger with suspiscion, though her thick visor betrayed no feeling on the soldier's face. "We were not told you'd be here," Natalie said flatly, making her way over to the Badger, eyes peeled for any more oncoming Splinters. Figuring out whether she was truly on the mission or was some cultist spy would be up to the others. That wasn't Natalie's call. It would be her call to turn the masked woman into paste if she was a spy though.

Natalie backed towards the Badger's back door as the others clambered in. Angel was wounded. She couldn't help him, just cover for him. She kept her wrist-mounted shotgun pointed outward, ready and waiting for any approaching Splinters. A wall panel bent in, a long claw finding purchase. She turned, raised her left arm, squeezed the trigger. A slug crushed through the limb that protruded from the gap, cutting it off the archer's body like she'd thrown a saw at it. The creature fell back - or at least, the panel fell closed again, but she was already turning her attention elsewhere. A door in the back opened, and a man stepped through, pistol, civilian clothes. Her shotgun was raised and pointed towards him before she'd even finished processing the information. He raised his arm and she pulled the trigger, a second slug punching him clean off his feet. She stepped back, one foot on the back of the vehicle - then she stepped up, into its rear bay. She kept her shotgun raised the whole time until the door could close behind her.

Hammer climbed into the back of the Badger, the only space there large enough to hold her suit. She stood tall and turned around, facing the door - there she'd stand until she was needed, and that likely meant going back out through that door. There was nothing else to do, no time to waste doing anything else - she'd just stand there until she was needed. Inugami took the wheel and Natalie rolled her shoulders, servos whirring in the joints of her suit. Her eyes flicked to the corner of her HUD and with but a thought, she was looking out through the Badger's own cameras, the footage displayed on the inside of her visor. She watched through the metal beast's own eyes as they pulled out of the garage.

[LAGRANGE LEVELS RISING]

The warning flashed across the visor, a low-toned alarm blaring. It would make things worse. The higher the Lagrange levels, the higher the general hazard of the area - and the volume of targets. She was an efficient destroyer, but there were still limits. She could feel it, the dull pain that sort of environment brought - and she could see the shapes outside as they took to the streets. Buildings they passed, bodies, targets. And more, newer shapes. And beyond... some dark storm of flesh. Not her preferred targets. But targets all the same.
Natalie reached for the grenade launcher hung at her side as the others discussed what they saw. It came unhooked with a pulling sensation as the magnets lost hold of one another. Natalie checked the drum, ensured she had it loaded with HE grenades. She raised the large weapon in her left hand, set her right on the Cannibal, finger set on the trigger guard. It wasn't ideal for accuracy, but the shapes outside were large, and she could use the Growler alongside the Cannibal with the extra-arms her suit had. The vehicle thumped and rolled over the corpses of those targets it flattened, and she could at least commend Inugami for lacking hesitation in running over cultists.

With Inugami's command to acquire hazard gear, Natalie reached out with her right hand, letting the stabilizer-arms hold the Cannibal. She flicked open the hazard compartment with the tip of a heavy, titanium finger and examined the contents. Her suit was sealed against outside hazards, so she'd leave the protective gear for the others. The camera footage on her visor depicted horrid tentacles of flesh tearing apart the surrounding buildings, blotting out the very sky in the mass. And more of them, the Decoded, floundering in the streets. There was little point taking in the sights. It was horrible, but she knew horrible well. They'd need cover. She left the cabinet open, before she took a few heavy steps towards the back door. She opened the door with the push of a button, watching the buildings pass by in their wake, shapes moving in the street. It seemed that Inugami had the same idea, as shortly after his first command he issued a second - get on the roof and provide cover. "Copy," was her reply, as she stepped onto the back ledge and reached out to grasp the heavy-duty ladder behind the door. She hooked the grenade launcher back to her side for a moment and ascended the ladder. The steel groaned under the weight of her suit - but luckily didn't break. At least, not that she could tell. Natalie pulled herself up and onto the roof of the Badger, stepping forward until she stood at the vehicle's center. It rocked and shifted beneath her, and so she activated the magnets in the bottom of her titanium boots, ensuring connection to the vehicle.

She didn't know if any of her squadmates had followed her up and didn't wait to see either. She was to provide cover and ensure the vehicle and its occupants arrived safely at their destination. Inugami, Seraph, Qilin, Quietus. She didn't know them, but their survival was the objective - and she did not fail objectives. She detached the grenade launcher from her hip again, hefting it in her left hand - her right hand aiming the Cannibal. She ensured explosive rounds were ready in both weapons. Even the KIRT-munitions wouldn't be enough to kill the Decoded, so explosives were the only option. Unlikely to kill, but enough to wound or disorient.

A large Decoded, a mass of tumorous flesh with fins and gills plenty, rolled its way in front of them, blocking the path ahead. It's rolling mass flattened a small car in the way, crushed the bodies of its occupants into slurry. The thing couldn't be passed, gone around. They'd have to go through. "Don't slow. Drive." Natalie's voice was stern, solid, a tone as solid and cold as steel that brooked no argument. The beast rolled, a mouth parted from the flesh, ooze dribbling forth from distended lips. Natalie raised her left arm, the Growler's barrel pointed straight at the abomination. She pulled the trigger; once, twice, three times. Each shot let out a thump, the projectile hurling through the air and striking the Decoded's side in a sudden, thunderous blast, the High Explosive grenade doing its work and obliterating flesh. The second and third explosion struck the beast all the same, explosion after explosion blasting a path through the creature's body until they had a path, splattering charred flesh across the asphalt. The creature wasn't dead - she knew that, but they had enough time for the Badger to roar through the hole she'd made, heavy wheels flattening meat beneath them as they roared past. Natalie didn't look behind her - she already knew she'd see the monstrosity weaving itself back together - and there were other threats.

From the largest mass, tentacles flailed, varied in size. The smallest were wire thin, and the largest; they were like trunks of goliath trees, carving through buildings and tearing holes in the streets. Every last bullet she carried wouldn't kill the mass, but she could fend off the smallest perhaps - keep them from hitting the Badger or knocking buildings over onto them. One ahead, above, angled down towards them. Smaller, it's trunk about as wide as a man. She tilted her stabilizer-arms, the Cannibal's barrel raising to meet the oncoming trunk. She pulled the trigger down, an explosive slug impacting the trunk, birthing a fireball. The tendril pulled back, a chunk of it torn off though she knew it was no serious wound to the colossal storm-beast. The tendril in its retreat scythed through the top corner of a building, sending the rubble falling towards them. It split into two pieces, two massive chunks of concrete falling down - she raised the Cannibal again, and in an instant an explosion broke one of the pieces, shards of smaller concrete raining like hailstones upon the badger, clanging against the metal but being ultimately harmless to the armored vehicle - and Natalie's armor. The second piece was dealt with - not by her, likely by one of her allies, though she had no time to think of it as she saw movement. A mass of bodies, cultists barricaded in the front end of a supply depot, the windows blasted out. They lit up the Badger with small-arms fire, bullets dinging off Natalie's armor as the Badger sped down the road. With a hiss the breach of the Cannibal opened, the two spent casings ejected - and in went a flechette and another High Explosive. The Cannibal raised again, bullets still bouncing off the Hammer's armor as the cultists found death in the barrel of her shotgun. A blast of flechette tore through the front of the depot, turning all the humans inside that front room into ground beef. The bullets stopped coming, and Natalie turned to face the next threat.

A Shield Splinter, charging at them from a side road. The Cannibal raised again, stabilizer-arms guiding it according to the computer's guidance, though Natalie's finger pulled the trigger. An explosion tore the Shield Splinter in half, its broken, mangled corpse hitting the asphalt after the Badger had passed by, leaving it on the road behind. The growing Lagrange Levels only worsened the headache Natalie had - time itself seeming to slow, or falter, or some science-y bullshit she didn't understand. She was at least lucky to be less attuned to all of it less than the others, her Resonance existing almost solely in the physical sense.

By now, Inugami's quick driving had brought them to where they were going, having circumvented the Blightstorm. They arrived now out in front of the Research Facility, the exterior swarming with some new monstrosities, humanoid and like the static of a broken television screen, given shape and moving - or... jilting through the air. More Decoded likely, just of some different nature. Natalie raised the cannibal and an explosion consumed one of them shapes - only to leave it standing and unharmed when the fire flared out. These were smaller than the others - but utterly invulnerable to physical harm, not just regenerating through it.

She saw shapes, real human shapes, in the front of the building, the foyer looking as if it'd just been struck by artillery - yet, shapes remained. They'd be the other Team, or they'd be targets. The first was more likely, or at least, the one she hoped for more. With a click, the speakers on the outside of her armor were active, and so Natalie called out into the clouds of dust and debris towards the vague shapes she saw.

"Move. Get in the Badger. They can't be harmed."

Natalie's voice cut through the chaos, the loudspeakers broadcasting her voice far and loud to catch her possible allies' attention. "Cover Team One. Targets won't die. Can only distract them." Natalie spoke to her squadmates in the Badger, her voice coming through the vehicle's radio. These foes wouldn't die - and whatever else came for them now would be something she couldn't put down. But - she could carve a path for the others. She had to. The blasts of her shotguns and hails of gunfire would provide everyone cover for now - it was up to them to take advantage of it.

@I mean, fuckin' everyone honestly?

People Natalie specifically talked to SilverFlight mizton Bharani Wilder28

Code by Serobliss

 

[FabulousTrash]

Machine Savant

Song Kyung-Min

Codename: SHRIKE

FSF ANGELA - WESTERN SECTOR

Her eyes shot open as Kyung-Min returned to their senses, immediately squinting as they readjusted to the light and dust that now surrounded them.

It was one thing after another, with no end in sight. But there was no time to rest.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of something in the air. The echo quickly rolled to the side as a chunk of metal came crashing down to the ground. As she pushed herself back to her feet, Kyung-Min looked around for the rest of those that were with her just moments ago. While accounted for, it seemed they were still down for the count. Except for one. It was a face that the echo didn't immediately recognize. Though, that was the least of her concerns, as Kyung-Min noticed what was further past them, and slowing approaching. She had only witnesses the Decoded a handful of times, but even for someone with her abilities, fighting them was usually a losing battle.

The girl reached for her sword, grabbing nothing but air. A quick glance around revealed that her weapon had relocated itself a few feet away. There wasnt any time for her to go retrieve it, so she turned to her alternate weapon. With a flash of red in her eyes, WISPs began forming around the echo. At the same time, the static resonance emitting from the approaching Decoded had reached Kyung-Min, sending her head spiraling. However, her concentration didn't falter. For now.

Before she could execute what she had planned, the sound of an engine drew near. Her eyes shifted focused to the incoming Badger, with what looked like a giant person on top. At closer inspection, the echo could see it was one of the others that was assigned to this mess of a mission. No doubt the rest of the group was inside the vehicle. Her ears heard the thump of a weapon firing, her arm coming up a split second later to shield her face from the explosion. To no surprise, it had no effect on the enemy.

Kyung-Min was already moving before Natalie spoke., the WISPs she called fading away. First grabbing her blade, the echo moved towards the others, giving them a rough shake of the shoulder to try to stir them. If they didn't get up soon, she'd have to grab the incubator Yurcia was carrying and leave them behind.

The echo didnt want to do that.

Code by Serobliss

 

[Juju]

Scrim / Handler

Brigitte Lefèvre

Codename: JUBILEE

FSF ANGELA - WESTERN SECTOR

@ the whole gang
Brigitte was oddly silent when Yurica arrived, the expression on her face enough to speak for her. She locked eyes with their leader and knew without words that she too understood the significance of the flowers. All that remained was if they could make this significance mean something. If they could make any of this chaos, this destruction, worth the cost.

Before any questions or hypotheses could be made, a roar shook the facility, and they were forced to retreat. Brigitte was the first to assist Yurica in securing the incubator, using her hacked splinter to hold off any of the stragglers that got past Monarch’s precise strikes. The escape was bloody and brutal, but with the combined forces of the resonators, the swarming splinters were hardly more than speed bumps.

Just when they had escaped the research facility, things took a turn for the worst. A warning screech from her surviving splinter was all the warning Brigitte got before something slammed against the ground, knocking her airborne and separating her from her allies. Crimson flashed in her eyes, blurring past her like the debris and dust. A massive pillar had touched down, just one of the many oddities that plagued this landscape of madness.

Brigitte reunited with the ground in an unceremonious crash, rolling to a stop. Just beyond, her gun and specimen container skidded, out of her reach. Dust made it difficult for her to breathe, and her dimly glowing eyes swam in the dizzying haze. Her head pounded and blood rushed in her ears. The world swam, spinning. It was hard to breathe. She hadn't heard the alert, but something deep within her marrow, her messy scrim-resonance, could sense the sharp tick in Lagrange.

It had to be level three.

Beside her, the warrior splinter rose from the ground, its long claws scraping against the barren earth. It took a step over the hive lord and raised its upper body to let out a shriek. At least, Brigitte could tell it was by its opened mandibles. The ringing in her ears drowned out the sound of the creature, and whatever it was shrieking at.

“Monarch…” Brigitte coughed, her hazy mind instructing the beast to scramble across the wrecked ground and find the masked man.

As she lay on the ground, Brigitte could hear something filtering through the ringing of her ears. Far off in the distance, a song drifted by, low and hypnotizing. It ebbed and flowed like ocean tides, like whale song. She swore she had heard it before, during that long, long slumber. Brigitte tried to listen closer, searching for that elusive siren that ate her dreams. She heard mere fragments of it, yet it was enough to tempt her into sleep. Brigitte closed her eyes and strained her ears in an effort to capture the melody.

What she heard instead was an urgent order, so loud that it pierced through her fuzzy senses and shook her into wakefulness.

"Move. Get in the Badger. They can't be harmed."

Ah, there’s Natalie, Brigitte thought, and would have laughed had she breath to spare. There she is when you need her.

Someone shook her shoulder, sharpening her sleepy thoughts. Brigitte opened her eyes to see the familiar face of Kyung-Min. Weakly, Brigitte cracked a smile, “Ah, dear me… napping when there are things to do!”

Brigitte hauled herself up, nearly falling over again but catching her balance at the last second. She held her head, battered and pounding from her fall, and raised her eyes to address their surroundings.

The 'can't-be-harmed' things Natalie mentioned were none other than decoded. These particular ones were shaped like humans, their static faces locked in eternal screams. It reminded her of a certain painting – well, the holographic version of it. As curious as they appeared, she understood the predicament they were all in. Securing the incubator was top priority, and while she was useless in carrying it, she had an idea on how to slow the pursuers.

“This might be dangerous, but that’s what experiments are for!” Brigitte announced to nobody in particular. She raised one of her arms towards the approaching decoded and clenched her fingers into a tight fist until her nails dug into the flesh of her palm.

Her eyes flared green as her resonance tugged upon the fraying fabric of reality and tore it open like an overripe fruit. One by one, nodes appeared in the midst of the decoded, bursting from the ground like glowing tumours. Four splinter nodes had spawned, pulsating with their sickly, beautiful light.

Just as Brigitte had hypothesized, the sheer concentration of Lagrange caused the newborn splinters to spawn and mature almost instantly. She let two of them remain wild, unbidden by anything but sheer survival instinct, while the remaining two were bridled by her will and made to serve. One shield, and one archer, simple and yet effective. With one large chitinous paw, the shield swung down upon a decoded, then another, and another. The attacks were shadowed by a rain of acidic spines from the archer. Their only order was to draw as much attention upon themselves as they could, their death serving little more than buying the hive time to retreat.

After locating and assisting Jupiter, the hijacked warrior from the lab rejoined its kin in battle. With a shriek, it threw itself at the approaching decoded. It was battered and broken from the previous fight, yet it drove itself onward as if spurred by puppet strings. Madly and with wanton abandon, it pounced at any decoded within range. It would likely fall soon, either from its wounds or being consumed by decoded, but it was for the better. Three splinters were nearly unstable for a scrim to handle, taking incredible willpower to direct even on a temporary basis.

Thankfully, Brigitte was one of the most stable scrims when it came to sheer control over the hivemind. Yet even she had limits. She had hijacked many splinters in the lab, and had added two more onto her count. If she hijacked a few more, she would be risking psychosis. She could feel it creeping at the edges of her mind, emboldened by the Lagrange, but it would not claim her yet.

The prolonged use of her scrim resonance was already beginning to visibly affect Brigitte. Her irises flared acid green, pupils red and sclera a dark grey. A webbing of black spots had formed at the edges of her face, as if mimicking the secondary eyes of splinters. She grabbed her gun from the ground and hauled her specimen collection kit over her shoulder, glancing back at Yurica and the others, "Hurry along now! My splinters will slow them, but not for long. Get that incubator loaded, we will cover for you!"

Code by Serobliss

 

[seasonedcat]

Machine Savant

Jupiter Syun

Codename: MONARCH

FSF ANGELA - WESTERN SECTOR

Brigitte's words helped Jupiter continue to clear the fog that ravaged his skull, filling his chest with a dull warmth that was nearly buried under the weight of every other emotion fighting against the murky water inside him. It was too much for Jupiter to think right now, his skull pounding with half suppressed memories as he could only move on orders lest he slip into the waters he barely could keep his head above.

as Brigitte seemed to get lost in her own head, Jupiter did not slip up, his entire being focused wholly on the order to keep the enemies off of her. The distant sounds of his shots pricing through tissue and his sharp WISPs cleaving through everything else is all that can be heard from him. The normal navy butterflies seeming to be poluted with crimson ones, making his straining mental fortitude clear to his handler.

when Yurica arrived, Jupiter hardly gave her a glance as he continued to keep Brigitte safe even in her quiet awe. The sound of the deafening noise didn't make Jupiter flinch despite the pounding in his skull, screaming in pure agony, part of his brain couldn't hear it over the deafening noise already present in his head. It was only when he was ordered to retreat that it was clear Jupiter was still in his own skull, moving back with the two.

Jupiter noticed just as Brigitte did, but there was nothing he could do as the world came crashing down around them, sending him flying away from his handler. All Jupiter could do was keep his grip on his weapon tight as his body was discarded, the landing harsh enough to send pain blooming through him. The dust was mostly blocked out by his mask but he still struggled to regain the wind knocked out of him,

"Brigitte..." he called out weakly, though he could hardly hear his own voice from the pounding in his skull. As he had finally came to a forced halt, the screaming weight of his own brain and body had begun to claw at his brain, his head getting shoved under the water for a moment before the loud sound of Natalie on the speaker pulled him out enough for him to breathe again.

Jupiter struggled to his feet, doing his best to ignore the phantoms of hands on his skin and the flickers of flames burning under his skin. He needed to think but found it near impossible, his focus being tossed around like a ball between the past and present. He was surrounded by crimson figures, they stared at him as he struggled, watching him. His mind's haze was clearing slightly, he could begin to make out faces, the static of butterflies seeming to ease away as Jupiter was on the brink of remembering.

Jupiter's mind snapped away from the memories as he slipped back into the haze, his gaze falling onto one of Brigitte's splitters. The panic in Jupiter seemed to lessen significantly as it meant that Brigitte was alive and well as he let the creature help him up before leading him back to the group. Within an instant Jupiter was by Brigitte's side, ready to help her and splinters.

mentions | everyone but mainly: Juju Lekiel

Code by Serobliss

 

[Wilder28]

Surge

Damien Harte

Codename: QUIETUS

Mentions: Technically everyone atp, but specifically SilverFlight SirDerpingtonIV Bharani

VEHICLE BAY - > WESTERN SECTOR

By the time someone new had turned up, Damien wasn't even around to notice; so focused was he on getting into the Badger that even as she was arriving, he was already scouring about the interior, taking stock of the supplies that were contained within and running a quick diagnostic check on the vehicle's controls. In terms for the former, it became very clear very quickly that they were unquestionably understocked, at least for the number of people that they were planning to bring on. If they'd even be able to pick up any more from this point on, he wasn't sure, but for now, he figured that to be a problem for the near future.

On the plus side, insofar as he could tell, the controls worked fine. A bit worn and rusted, perhaps, definitely not state-of-the-art technology, but they'd get the job done.

He announced this much to everyone else as they started pouring in, although he paused for just a moment as he witnessed for the first time their new encounter, who, when he quizzed her, introduced herself as "Qilin" (or Mei, whichever one she'd default to). He was naturally inclined to be quite suspicious at first, but had that sentiment assuaged when the others assured him that she was with them - a last-minute add-on to the group, apparently.

He supposed he could believe that, especially since she really didn't seem like the Pythagoras type; and given that they had just been out of an Atunity - as Helena still had yet to make any sort of return - he figured he really couldn't complain that they had now picked up another. So in the end, he just gave a shrug, a flat "Alright then", and moved right on.

Damien could've been the one to drive them, but he felt there were better people for the job and better things for him to be doing, so when Gell went up to take the wheel, he didn't complain. Instead, he went right on to take a seat and strap in, just as Gell recommended, and there he remained as everyone got situated, and the vehicle finally took off.

The ride was a bit of a rough one, to say the least, but he'd have been lying if he'd said that he expected any better. As far as he was concerned, in fact, it honestly could've been worse; that things got smoother over the course of a trip was a testament to Gell's own driving ability. Which he could respect, because if it'd be him at the wheel, he wouldn't have guaranteed the same.

While they went along, Damien took stock of the outside world, and found it to be in an incredibly sorry state. Somehow even more so than last time. Splinters and cultists abounded, at least in the beginning, though the sheer formidability of their vehicle assured that they wouldn't have to deal with them personally. More sobering to him was the sheer scale of the devastation that had transpired around them. Whatever hope he might've had of this place surviving the assault was withering more and more by the moment, and he got the feeling that it probably wasn't going to get much better. After all, when did it ever?

He'd have liked to have been proven wrong, of course. But, as luck would have it, the exact opposite happened.

It hit him almost like a wave, as the air around them thickened and condensed until it seemed more akin to molasses. It didn't take much for him to figure out why; this was Blight he was feeling. Lagrange levels around here must have been soaring. Just being here was starting to give him a headache, striking him with a sensation akin to nausea. He was sure some of the others had it worse than he did, but all the same, it was far from pleasant.

Gell's command didn't go unheard, but Damien didn't wait around to hear it. He already knew what kind of supplies were onboard, so the moment it occurred to him, he unbuckled himself and headed to the back, where he came upon and equipped himself with the appropriate gear for the environment. Almost right away, he found himself feeling noticeably better, though he most certainly would've been happier in a less Blight-intensive environment.

It wasn't until after he was all suited upon that he made his way back toward the front, whereupon he got to see for the first time the cause of Blight. It took him a moment to process just what it was he was looking at, but the moment it clicked, he couldn't help but curse under his breath. "Ugh, shit," he muttered.

Decoded. He couldn't say he'd faced many of them before, but whenever he did, they were always a bitch to deal with. Splinters and Spliced were one thing - those could almost reliably be harmed, at least at the lower levels. But Decoded were an entirely different breed, and definitely not the sort he'd have liked to be dealing with now. Insofar as he was aware, there was little any of them could do to harm one of them, let alone one the size of that monstrosity up above. All they could really do at this point was try and slip by, and just thinking about that pissed him off.

That didn't mean there was nothing he could do, though. Gell made that much clear as he shouted another command back at them, this time for him and Hammer specifically. Damien glanced aside at his fellow Surge, who he noticed was already on the way up, and he gave a sharp nod before following after her. "On it," came his response as he willed his Spectral Suit into place. While he waited for his partner-in-arms to make her way out, he reached for his utility belt - not for Incendium, but for Firestorm, which he knew for a fact would be a much bigger help. His blade had reach, especially in whip form, but not enough to have much use up there. For this, he'd have to go long-ranged.

The moment the way up was clear, the vehicle shaking with the force of Hammer's armored footsteps, Damien used his suit's Dash function to shoot right up to the top, climbing up in less than a second and cloaking himself in the process. On one arm, he brought up Aegis, in order to take on any unexpected hits that might be sent his way. And in both his hands, he wielded his blaster, taking aim at the very first threat that came to his attention - a charging Warrior Splinter, which soon found itself obliterated by a hefty blast of plasma.

For the most part, as they went along, he let Hammer handle the bigger things, since she had far more firepower on hand than he did. He had his explosives, sure, but those were very limited in number, and therefore to be used sparingly. So he focused instead on those smaller threats that she either missed, or simply were beneath her paygrade, ranging from Splinters to cultists to the occasional smaller Decoded. A couple of times they focused in on the same target, as when that one depot full of cultists attempted to gun them down, or when a particular piece of debris needed to be blown apart; but other than that, he mostly just kept his back to hers and let her handle her own side of things.

Eventually, they came upon their destination, and through the growing pressure of the Blight, he beheld the crimson red pillar that stood just nearby, perhaps a part of the deteriorating barrier overhead. Then, he turned his gaze on the situation below, taking in everything from the scattered horde of Decoded to the silhouettes of the other Team. And the moment he'd properly gotten a handle on what was going on, he promptly abandoned his post atop the Badger, collapsing Aegis so that he may proceeded undetected. There was no use in staying up there; the only things here he'd want to hurt couldn't be, as Nat had so elegantly demonstrated. That left only one sensible course of action.

When he came again into view, Damien was found underneath the incubator that the other team had been carrying, once again overcome with his signature gold-ish glow as he lifted it off the ground with seemingly little effort. He didn't know who was carrying it before, but so far as he knew, none of them were Surges, so regardless, with Nat busy, he was by far the best person available for heavy lifting.

"I've got the Shard," he announced, for anyone who wasn't already aware. "Let's get moving."

And with that, he made his way back toward the Badger, moving with a fair bit more grace and agility than should've been available for someone carrying such a burden.

Code by Serobliss

 

[Lekiel]

Galvode

Yurica Aeterna

Codename: Nightingale

EASTERN ANGELA - GREYLIGHT

The shattered glass frontage of the facility’s exit drew closer as they raced forwards. At the back of her mind and threatening to climb out her constricted throat, she’d already felt the herald of dread making his presence known. The moment they stepped foot onto the ground floor from the depths of the basement, the thick viscous air enveloped them like a cloying glove. Lagrange 3. She didn’t have to glance at the sensory data displayed in her sights to know that. Something was very wrong. There was no way Blight could’ve saturated so fast, even a Dissonant would have to expand a huge amount of energy to do. Then again, nobody really knew the extent of their powers.

Surely it was something else. The answer came to them as surely as they felt the shockwave of the attack.

She saw the ‘blip’ on her hud, indicating the proximity of the second group only a millisecond before the huge pillar smashed into the ground beside them.

Leading the retreat, the Agent felt the full brunt of the shockwave, traversing through her body and rattling every bone. She was flung haphazardly to the side. In that blink of a moment, the superhuman braced her arms out back managing to turn in such a way that she avoided crashing on her back and damaging the incubator. Rewarding herself instead with a jarring smack on her temple that sent her vision spinning as she lay braced on her side. In the skies above, the source of their localised calamity. Decoded. A monstrosity that she’d never seen of such proportions. The huge pillar that struck their vicinity appeared to be some sort of weird melding of the abomination’s tentacle limbs and a piece of their Sanctum’s Schrodinger barrier frame.

She felt the incubator dislodge from the harness and tumble to the ground, the solid hull resounding metal as it made contact. Everything was a blur, as her Resonant imbued physique strained through the stresses that would’ve utterly crushed a human.

Shit. . . she stumbled to her feet as her eyes searched for the others, Shrike, Jubilee and Monarch were unaccounted for at that moment but she managed to find Sylphira, the white haired defender standing tall in a guarded position but against what she couldn’t yet see—until a deafening static screech overwhelmed her senses.

The Agent collapsed to the ground, body heaving and retching. Through watery eyes, she could barely make out her assailant, a shambling silhouette of blue static.

“The fuck are you—!?” She knew the answer of course, but spat out anyway in sheer annoyance. After all they’ve been through to escape, the icing on the cake had to be a bunch of the most frustrating Corruptants to fight; if you could call what they were doing a fight. The only saving grace was that those Decoded were slow.

Fighting against the waves of nausea, Yurica literally dragged herself onwards, away from the shambling static ghoul and towards the incubator. One hand over the other until finally her gloved her grasped the cool metal hull.

”Get up Yurica.” A voice inside her head suddenly urged her on.

As her gloved hands braced against the incubator, a tingling icy feeling rushed up her hand, travelling upwards until she suddenly felt a clarity in her mind as if they weren’t right in the middle of a level 3 Blight. Before she had a moment to marvel at the occurrence again her vision swam, though this time, like liquid mirror the recognizable form of Quietus decloaked right before her eyes.

“Long enough.” Nightingale muttered under her breath, though relief was evident in her voice. With ease, the Surge picked up the incubator and bounded towards the looming form of the Badger. On its reinforced roof, the hulking Hammer shouted for their coordinated retreat, all the while her heavy weaponry pounded away, their blasts rivalved only by the eerie roars from the Decoded above.

In harried but practised fashion despite their injuries, the rest of the team retreated into the vehicle piloted by the deft Inugami. A stomp on the paddle and they were off. Dodging rubble and ruin, traitors and corruptants they sped towards the fringes of the increasingly overrun Fortress.

“Gun it!” Whoever was able at that time, focused all fire towards the crumbling dysfunctioning gate allowing the Badger to smash through the ruined barriers. Yurica’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, worried that as the flames licked away from the Badger’s windshield, they would be greeted by a sea of Corruptants but relief quickly flooded back in when the way was clear.

Shifting lighting that perpetually covers the post-apocalyptic land. Without the sun, light pulses in the shattered sky, bathing the land in muted pale greys, deep crimson or sometimes near-complete darkness at random timings. Greylight. It was under such skies a lone vehicle sped away into the distance, leaving behind loss. Its cargo, the remnants of hope.

Chapter three : That’s thE pLan?​

Tess. . . Why? Why give your life when the world showed that we meant nothing to them? Everything that we did. . . they just took. Took and gave nothing back. Why?

”Tersola,” with a start, Yurica came to not realising she had been saying a name out loud. Dreams of a forgotten time fleeting from her mind, as she rubbed troubled sleep from her eyes. She was in one of the back facing seats, just behind the driver’s cockpit and facing the aft of the upper deck of the Badger where the Incubator was secured. She studied its polished surface in the dim lighting for a moment, surprised at the lack of scratches considering what it had been through. Taking a deep breath, Nightingale got up from her seat and stepped to the front to greet their driver.

“You good?” They may be Resonators, but rest was still a necessity. “We should tell the others we’re gonna get moving.”

After putting enough distance, Yurica had ordered a stop. Heading into a shallow valley, its river long since dried up, they had parked the Badger under a rocky outcropping. While they took turns keeping watch, the others had a chance to rest and resupply.

One thing was very apparent nonetheless. They did not have their Cartograph destroyed as it were, along with the first Badger, and thus, was hopelessly lost unless. . .

Code by Serobliss

◇ ◇ ◇Mentions: SilverFlight mizton Sharatayn seasonedcat Wilder28 Juju SirDerpingtonIV FabulousTrash Dicentra

LAGRANGE PARTICLE LEVEL ZERO

GM Notes:
Finally together, the team managed to escape the besieged FSF ANGELA with the package secured. Though the cost had been dear, they have gained new members. After travelling a safe distance out into the desolate and barren Greylight plains, Yurica ordered a stop for the team to rest and recuperate. As they did not obtain the stocked Badger, their Cartograph is outdated.
Take this time to get acquainted with your comrades. There will be 2 GM posts of ‘rest’ before the main storyline continues. There will be no posting order to allow for more casual flowing conversation between characters if needed. See the lore section for the Badger’s description if you need an idea of the layout to place your character.

ACHIEVEMENTS
Objective Complete, But At What Cost? - Locked
Fighting Chance - The team is successful in their efforts in defending and restoring the comms hub, though the team may never witness the significance of their efforts they can rest knowing they have given the defenders of FSF ANGELA a fighting chance. When they finally reach the vehicle bay, unfortunately due to their delay, the place is already crawling with Splinters who had overwhelmed the mechanics and small force of guards stationed there.
Yurica is displeased but thoughtful
Flowery Bugs - Due to the actions of Jubilee, the team observes that a shield splinter would become docile and rapidly decay into crystalline blue flowers that carry the scent of purest Resonance, like a breath of fresh air. But what is the significance of this?
Mending The Code - Locked

NEW LORE ENTRIES
Cartographs
The Listeners

 

[FabulousTrash]

Machine Savant

Song Kyung-Min

Codename: SHRIKE

EASTERN ANGELA - GREYLIGHT

At the first possible chance, Kyung-Min claimed one of the upper bunks in the back of the Badger. She remained there for the duration of their trip, seemingly asleep. But on the contrary, she was wide awake, her weapon close by mounted on the wall and held up by a weapon bracket.

Her eyes looked around, as the faint voice of Yurica could be heard up in the front, where the cabin was. Kyung-Min rolled over so that she was no longer facing the wall and looked around for a moment. Sounds like they were going to be leaving soon to continue the mission.

The echo swung her legs over the edge of the bunk before pushing herself down to the ground. She had no idea where the others were, but she didn't really care. Reaching for her blade, Kyung-Min secured it onto her back before wandering around the Badger. She had been in a few of them before on prior missions, but this one felt... different.

No, that wasn't it. Something else was making her feel weird. Kyung-Min's eyes looked in the general direction of here the incubator was being stored. She began wandering over to the device, her eyes staring. Then they blinked. Even if Kyung-Min did speak, she wouldn't know how to describe what she just experienced. Before her gaze left the incubator, they caught a glimpse of a series of numbers.

C... 4... 5.. 5... Y...

The echo had no idea what that meant. For all it was, it could just be the model number of the incubator. But as far as she was concerned, it meant nothing to her. Kyung-Min walked away from the incubator, eventually finding herself at the front of the Badger. Her attention was now what was outside, as she stared out into the open landscape. At that moment, the realization truly set in.

They were on their own from here.

Code by Serobliss

SilverFlight mizton Sharatayn seasonedcat Wilder28 Juju SirDerpingtonIV Dicentra Lekiel