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Fantasy The Underground

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Matt | Arc 1: Abandoned Ant Nest






The answer to Rav’s earlier question on the team plan was to merely focus on exterminating all the ants and rescuing who they could.

Like the other team leads he had taken one of the pheromone containers that had been given to them, keeping it latched onto a compartment on his side.

Jumper Ants, he told the team, were a venomous species of ants. They moved generally quickly, and could jump long distances. The key idea was to either not let them get the chance to pounce or to dodge them completely when they did.

The most important thing was also to avoid getting stung. At their sizes now, a single sting would be lethal if not fatal. He could heal and protect against toxins but he couldn't provide absolute immunity.

It was hitting the wall of foul odor that had Matt changing the subject and issuing a command. “Masks on,” before they moved forward again.

There's pheromones in this that will cover our scent.” Nudging Esther as he removed the container. “Use it in an emergency so we can escape if I don't give a signal.” Putting it directly into her hand.

Then they were officially off.

Seeing through the gas even with lights to assist was practically like walking through the moisture of fog. The fact he could hear combat up ahead made Matt alert to the others that they needed to move faster but remain alert. The ants here would pick up their scents and if they got cut off before they could reach the other party it would get ugly. The gas here made sight limited to only a couple feet ahead of you.

It wasn't hard to see who had survived though.

The shadows illuminated by light made it easier to see just who was still moving.

The voice was unmistakable.

As Karina evaded the ant and blindly fired at her enemy, Matt followed the ant’s shadowy figure to fire a shot of projectile slime at it that held acidic properties. The hissing in the distance was unmistakable as the gas up ahead also slightly thickened.

Not waiting to let any new surprises catch them off guard, Matt called out: “I know that voice.” Using his light to shine it in the darkness where Karina's silhouette shifted to display her gear colors. The cheer was probably more welcoming than anything else she had been experiencing in who knew how many minutes. “I'm damn sure that's Sawyers own Fatal Cutie!”

Even as he approached Matt still made it clear to his team in few words and gestures to keep themselves spread, in sight of each other, and alert on any movements.

You can put yourself a bit more at ease F.C. Your backup has arrived.” If tossing that old nickname did anything, it may have at least reminded her of who specifically had bestowed that moniker years back when they'd been a bit younger. It had stuck as a joke, even if it had seen less use after he left.

And as he appeared in Karina's line of sight, guns ready but relaxed, mask in her direction, the Tinman looked her over.

A huff, coming out clearly behind the mask in a breathy sound of amusement. “Just as fine as I remember, that's for sure.”An unnecessary comment perhaps, but one he expected at least Karina to take in stride if she recognized him at all. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have been doing any of this, but he knew Fatal Cutie.

Even if whatever intimacy they had was years ago, looking at her certainly made it clear some things hadn't totally changed. “What's the situation with the Merchant?”




Mentions: Nobody Special Nobody Special

Interactions: FabulousTrash FabulousTrash AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean Beann Beann simj26 simj26
 
ECHO
There may have been the slightest droplet of appreciation welling up at Echo's core. Her associate's initiative allowed her own inattentive headspace time to center away from the team's looming guest. She wasn't short of headaches with the usual cast of fools but now the circus was up one lion. Her own tightrope was dwindling down to a single thread of caution. Too many blindspots for a single stubborn engineer to juggle.

If the team's insect desired the front, Echo would claim the rear. It wasn't from a lack of faith, but a desire for self confirmation. Passages this size may give the illusion of space, but they were undoubtedly still bottlenecks. One of the biggest risks were the overpasses’ mouths only visible after passing under. Even something as benign as a worm could devise an ambush without thinking twice or even once at all.
⬩ ⬥ ❖ ⬥ ⬩
The vanguard's signal only spared a touch of time before the loose voice illuminated the rest of the way. An unaccounted for woman and remnants of what Echo could only assume as the aforementioned assistance. Clearly not all they were advertised to be and a vain misuse of wealth. More of the same for the affluent.

Echo's face gave no pause to the wicked's vomited words, but their lingering interest had become her own. Was the strange woman an associate of the overly ambitious set of minds? Or were her sights set on those she deemed the greatest, or least, threat?

Hesitation was death, so metallic joints stirred.

It was a small stride. Enough only to substantiate her place by the team's sharpshooters. The way she saw it, they would be the lifeline against the set of unknown threats. Until the conditions behind the living shocktrooper's obedience could be discerned, Echo would play libero.

“I don't think we're a very stable control group, hun.”
LET'S SPLIT UP
 
COLE GRAHAM

Before Nykia had even given her command, the identity of the unknown quantity they'd been tracking had already become apparent to Cole. Now standing at the light-consuming mouth of the team's chosen passage, the faint traces of pheromones he'd been following thus far had intensified, alerting him to the presence deep within. To no surprise, there were several ants further down the path. While not something to be unconcerned with, the nest's natural residents were far from the forefront of his mind.

Now completely aware of what it was that did not belong, he stopped in his tracks, raising an arm for the rest of the team to halt their movement. "Entomen." His voice carried no hint of surprise, delivering the information in hushed, composed monotone. He had already been expecting this, but the truth lining up with his earlier suspicions gave little cause to celebrate. It only promised more danger and complications.

"Two of them. German cockroach and flea. Likely Plaguers. Several ants are positioned above the path ahead." Plague involvement was still only an assumption on his end, but it made the most sense with the information they had on hand. In a strange way, that made it seem more likely that the child was safe. The terrorists probably kidnapped them with the intention of making use of their abilities, so harming them would be counterproductive. However, trusting in that alone wasn't an option. The rescue needed to be completed as quickly as possible.

With another wave of his hand, Cole motioned for the rest of Lumen to continue following as he started down the path once again. He maintained a steady release of his pheromones, making use of the ants' own signals to keep them at bay. At the same time, he relied on the trails left behind by the presumed Plaguers to act as a guide.

For a while, there was nothing more than the soft glow of Callahan's light keeping the darkness at bay. But there eventually came a second, albeit much dimmer gleam. It grew more luminous as the distance between the two sources closed. However, as the light became more noticeable, so too did a raw, metallic odor.

The terribly familiar scent had little effect on him, being of secondary concern compared to its source. A number of dismembered bodies had been grouped together like shredded garbage, ripped to pieces and left for whatever scavengers were lured in by the repugnant smell of death. The carnage was fresh, something Cole noticed just before a dancing light made itself known to confirm that the ones responsible for the slaughter were still close by.

His sharp senses undiluted by the thick coat of gore at his feet, the appearance of three newcomers was unsurprising. With a quick release of airborne chemicals, he alerted the rest of the team to the presence of the targets they'd been hunting, providing a few moments to prepare before the Entomen turned to initiate the confrontation. The two of them and the young girl at their side.

While their pheromones were enough for Cole to know which was the flea, the pink-haired woman's talk about blood cemented it. That left the blond as the cockroach. With nothing emanating from the child, it was safe to say that she was no Entoman, likely being the stolen cargo he and the others were sent to retrieve. The way she interacted with the Plaguers gave rise to a few questions, as well as concerns, but he was afforded little time to dwell on them.

While the two girls made their retreat, the roach stepped forward, his thirst for blood palpable. It seemed to be nothing more than playtime for him, murder being a way to kill boredom. But for the Exterminators, this was no game, and they couldn't afford to waste time indulging someone's sinful delights while a child was being taken beyond the point of no return.

In response to the man's question, Cole took a step forward, reaching for the edge of his suit's buttoned collar. Despite rising to the challenge, he did not do so with the intent of proving himself or anything of sort, not paying much mind to the provocation. This was simply what he believed to be the best course of action.

"Captain, if you and the squad see an opportunity to catch up to the other one, please do so. I have a feeling the younger girl is the one we're here for. I can handle things here." He did not say so with overconfidence, purely matter-of-fact.

Rescue was top priority, meaning they couldn't afford to waste more time or resources than necessary in order to deal with the roach. To give the squad a better chance at successfully retrieving the girl, he figured he was the best candidate to leave behind. His pheromones could keep the ants currently scurrying above their heads at bay, limiting the fight to a one-on-one. And even if he couldn't win, he was fairly confident he was sturdy enough to buy some time. It was his job as vanguard to bear the most weight and face the most danger.

A sharp hiss of air escaped from his armor as he undid a few of the buttons lining the outer material, lessening the tight grip it had on his body. Until the sound eventually fizzled out, he sauntered over to the Entoman blocking the way forward. He stopped only a few feet away, raising both metal-clad hands as he settled into a stance. Then, when he felt the timing was right, he put power into his legs and rushed forward, striking out at the sharp-toothed target with a sudden pounce.

LET'S SPLIT UP


 
SAVANNAH TORAMA
With arms crossed over her chest, Savannah wore a perfectly annoyed expression for the duration of their ride to the rendezvous. The jumbled music blaring from each team’s respective vehicles was starting to give her a headache and the rough terrain did nothing to alleviate the unwelcome feeling. She sighed quietly to herself, picking a spot on the back of their team leader’s head to focus on to distract herself from the surrounding chaos. The music choice wasn’t bad but in combination with the others — especially Team Gunnar’s — it may as well be a torture method.

Her furrowed eyebrows lifted ever so slightly as she felt her husband wrap an arm around her, earning him a more friendly look compared to what she offered the rest of her team. Savannah’s movements were subtle, a slight dip in her shoulder as she scooted an inch closer to him, the cacophony of songs becoming a little more bearable.

When they reached their destination, she hopped out of the Humvee with a satisfied thud, her worn boots kicking up a bit of dirt. She stayed close to Rav, quietly observing him as he conducted his usual procedure to ensure his armored suit was functioning as intended. “Good.” She nodded, satisfied with her own assessment of the equipment.

“A fool.” Savannah responded flatly to his initial thoughts about the mission. She shifted her weight onto one leg, crossing her arms once again as the rest of the team members waited for the team leaders to finish discussing strategy. Her eyes followed Emily as well, her display of clumsiness earning a frown from Savannah. “All alive together? Little to none. More likely all dead together.” She said as she pulled the velcro flap up from her leg satchel to take out her issued mask. Fixing the gas mask over her face, she brought her palms up to cover the filters, taking a deep breath to confirm suction.

With the team leaders splitting off and leading their respective teams into the unknown, Savannah remained close to Rav for the time being as they marched onward. She brushed the side of her hand against his protective glove, a subtle display of affection in the event things went awry later. Wordlessly, she continued on with the rest of Bloodworks, her frown deepening the further they ventured as sounds of laughter and rounds being spent echoed throughout the tunnel.

Despite her gas mask, it was still hard to make out what she was viewing as they approached the source of the laughter. She could outline a few bodies scattered, most likely the Sawyers given their attire. Savannah watched for a moment as the lone exterminator continued to rage on. Her head then turned towards the faint hissing sound and her view was obscured once more. She reached into one of her pockets, taking out a small pouch that contained an assortment of seeds. Shifting through a few of varying colors and sizes, she plucked one out and quickly knelt down to the ground. Savannah scratched at the dirt with her index finger, creating a small hole before dropping the seed in and covering it up with the loose dirt. With a labored huff, she focused her energy into accelerating the growth, manipulating its original structure as the seed broke through the dirt and sprouted into a white peace lily. The plant grew all the way up to her shoulder, its leaves pulsing with life as it began to slowly absorb the smoke in the chamber.

The Regal Rper The Regal Rper AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean FabulousTrash FabulousTrash simj26 simj26
LET'S SPLIT UP

 
NYKIA MASAMA
The blood pooled beneath the lugs of Nykia’s boots, rippling in the dim light as the group came to a stop before the heap of corpses. They looked like burning coal, sleek black-and-orange clothes mottled with red, with a soft glow of light emanating from each one of them; a thought Nykia entertained for only a moment before her eyes reached the figures beyond them. A flea, a cockroach, and the cargo; almost just like Cole had warned, albeit with a little extra surprise of the mission’s objective being there, too.

The figures spoke. Precious seconds they wasted on chittering between each other and sauntering as though they were taking a brisk walk around a city. Arrogant, Nykia noted. This’ll be easy.

But… the cargo—the girl. Too calm. And, unlike the roach and the flea, she was an unknown variable. Abnormal alchemy, they’d said. A frustrating set of words. A hand sharply rose to the side for the team members behind her to see: “Flea: no violence unless provoked.”

The ant she’d set to guide them took a step forward with no protests from the firefly. His words were sound, for the most part. Though she wouldn’t be letting him alone with the roach; the flea’s words about toys had struck an alarm bell in her mind. With her free hand (and a disapproving huff), she grabbed the lurching spider by the back of the collar, commanding the rest to “March; wide berth,” ahead of them. As the water Alchemist walked past, Nykia’s palm pressed against her back and shoved her to the front of the pack.

The elytra on Nykia's back flicked up to reveal the thin membrane of her wings. Hauling Maylee up into a better grip, her wings buzzed, and she took to the air above the small flock of people. She flitted forward to hover in the air behind the cockroach before unceremoniously tossing Maylee back down towards him. Nykia's boots thumped as she landed at Oskar’s side, barely sparing a glance to the Exterminators they were leaving behind.
LET'S SPLIT UP

 

i don't like
pain
but i bring it to life
i don't like
scars
but i'm good with a knife
i don't like
tears
but i'm starting to cry
*
MAYLEE SONG.
scroll
LOCATION
in the tunnels
WITH
cole and flay
MOOD
(ง •̀_•́)ง
OUTFIT
uniform
For a split second, she was relieved beyond words.

As soon as Maylee's eyes had landed on the young woman, she recognized her. Of course she recognized her. You didn't forget the face of someone you endured years of abuse with. Warm memories flooded Maylee's mind, precious snapshots of connection and solidarity in that terrible, terrible place. Two tiny hands were intertwined, linked at the pinkies.

It'll be okay. We'll get through this. Together.

She hadn't seen the other girl since she left that awful place years ago. When she had finished slitting the last of her captors' throats with—with him

(She saw him silhouetted against clouds of dust and embers, head thrown back, blood raining down on his head like some twisted baptism. She didn't even like to think his name, anymore.)

—she had turned to go back for the other girl, but he had stopped her with a sharp grip on her wrist and an urgent look in his eyes. It ate away at her, not going back, but she had reasoned herself into accepting it. The ones keeping them there were dead, after all. She was free.

Now, looking at the girl standing at the end of the tunnel, Maylee was briefly reassured that she had made it out, she had survived. But the relief quickly soured, an uneasy feeling creeping up her stomach. Plaguers, Cole had said. They were likely dealing with Plaguers. And her old friend wasn't alone. There was a man with her—a twisted-looking individual with leering eyes and brutal scars etched across his face—and a child. The child, no doubt.

Maylee's heart began to pound. All she could think was:
No. It can't be true. Please don't let it be true.
But all signs pointed to the fact that her old friend was one of them now. The codename the other one called her—Mast—suggested she had taken on a new identity. Her claiming to be bringing the child to meet their leader only sealed it. Though Maylee didn't recognize this Entoman called Flay—he must be a recent addition to their ranks—everything about him screamed Plaguer, and if this so-called Mast was working with him, then...

Her fingers clenched and unclenched at her sides. Nausea washed over her, a sense of shame that reared up whenever she was reminded of her past with the Plaguers, but this time it was chased by the horror of seeing her old friend standing within their ranks. A moment later, though, a sense of calm began to wash over her, as if the tension had been sapped from her veins. She knew this feeling. Maylee glanced over at Cole, knowing he was using his pheromones to help her calm down. Again. Her chest ached with guilt. Here she was, on her way to having a breakdown, and he was focused on the mission, focused on keeping her head in the game. Would she ever stop owing him?

When Maylee tore her gaze away from Cole, she could see Mast walking away, clasping the child's hand. Before she could stop herself, she lurched forward, and not for the reasonable, dutiful reason of ensuring the child's safety; no, it was a selfish sense of attachment that spurred her forward.

"
Wait, Aria—!
"

She didn't make it far before Maylee felt someone grab her by the back of her uniform; she bit down on a surprised yelp as Nykia suddenly hauled her into the air. Her eyes were glued desperately to the backs of the rest of her squad as they continued down the tunnel—after Aria—but she gritted her teeth and willed herself to snap out of it. Nykia was right, in her unspoken way—she was far too personally invested in Mast to be the one to go after her. Below them, Cole was fighting what appeared to be an absolute madman of a Plaguer. She couldn't let him do it alone.

She recovered quickly when Nykia dropped her, drawing her grappling hook and embedding it in a nearby stalactice to adjust the trajectory of her movement to something more optimal as she rapidly approached the roach Entoman. Cole had already aimed a swing, and so Maylee reached into her belt and grabbed one of her throwing knives, aiming it at the back of Flay's neck. One knife's worth of venom wouldn't be enough to kill or even incapacitate him, but she hoped it would at least stun him long enough to give Cole an opening to strike.

NO TIME TO DIE - BILLIE EILISH
ART BY
OKKIIIII
 
ENOCH - SHEPHERD OF THE CHOSEN PATH


Enoch stepped forward slowly, unhurried, as though the lifeless shocktroopers and grotesque display before them were already familiar to him, which, in a way, they were... A tableau of human frailty. A reminder of the desperate, cruel world that they all called home, for now.

This is what wanton suffering begets—a world that feeds on itself, where cruelty masquerades as purpose and fear as power.

Enoch noted when the woman's black eyes found their way to him, lingered longer than on the others, and felt a faint pulse of curiosity. What does she see when she looks upon me?

His own gaze lingered on the prone shocktrooper, taking in the visible signs of their unnatural obedience. This is not loyalty. It is control. Forced. Perhaps chemical, perhaps alchemical. A flicker of disdain passed through his mind, but he did not permit it to surface on his face. The woman's flippant cruelty would not draw an emotional response from him. After all, cruelty was predictable—a symptom of a sick and broken world.

With deliberate steps, Enoch moved slightly ahead of the group, and spoke in a voice, low and serene, cutting through the tension like a knife.

"It is rare to see such meticulous cruelty paired with such ease." He leaned upon his staff, pausing to let his gaze drift briefly to the trooper pinned beneath her heel. "A lesser man might call you monstrous... But I do not believe in monsters. Only in potential...

Show me yours."






LET'S SPLIT UP
 
XENOS
The mad scientist was all too happy to tread beside his companions. Every mission was an exciting new adventure! While not his area of expertise, Xenos' scientific nature always got him a little excited at the thought of new gigapods to face, an exotic experience he was deprived of in the safety of the capital. And most importantly, he always looked forward to the maneuvers he would need to come up on the spot to avoid becoming an insect's next meal, truly, what did he ever do to deserve to live such a fortunate existence with fulfillment in strides?!

⬩ ⬥ ❖ ⬥ ⬩


For a short moment, Xenos' smile disappeared, a serious expression on his face as he examined the massacre that took place in the area. He wasn't going to lose any sleep over the passing of agents who should've expected dangers like this to materialize, but it was regardless a shame that this many lives had to experience such an untimely end. Whatever seriousness there was, however, disappeared the moment his eyes locked in with the 'mysterious woman'.

"HAHAHAHA!" His howling echoed through the chamber, a leathery palm fixing up his glasses. "It truly pains me that you must act this cold. Acting like I am some kind of stranger." He stepped forward, an open hand pressed against his heart. "So this is what you have been up to? Last time I heard from my former colleagues, they put you behind bars!" He strolled aimlessly, steelclad hands held by each other behind his back. "Is this perhaps a career change? Not that I can blame you for it, as I myself also felt the calling of field experience! The acommodations are certainly a downgrade, but I would not trade it for the world." From his ferrous fingertip, a tiny black orb manifested, shifting and rippling like an amourphous blob. "However, I'm afraid that our current fields might be at odds." The orb grew in size, its metallic sheen shifting as it revolved upon itself. "And unfortunately, I am more about doing the experiments than being the test subject, but you should already know that, right Doctor Miori?"

The orb then exploded, splitting into five shards which moved right above Xenos' head, twisting and soldifying into five steel spears hovering in the air. His weaponry awaited his command, waiting for anyone to make a move before he made any follow up action.




BriiAngelic BriiAngelic @miki BluEndings BluEndings Elenion Aura Elenion Aura @The One Eyed Bandit
LET'S SPLIT UP
 
Ananda Das

♫♪♫♪ GHOSTRADE ♫♪♫♪

There was nothing more disgusting than finding someone who seemed to derive pleasure from another’s suffering. Hearing the shocktrooper’s plea may have been hard to stomach but at least that proved this one was still alive. His eyes darted the room trying to find the best way to separate the predator from their prey. Without seeing a clear method other than deception or a full frontal attack, he stepped up while removing his mask.

It was a risky play but it seemed the woman wasn’t choking on poison so he liked his odds. He kept one hand behind his back as he made a sign his team would easily recognize as “Two Avenues”. A sign warning them not to fall in line but to create a divide. Some could follow his lead and some could split to attack but so long as they diverted her attention they might still save the poor fellow on the floor.

Yet he had nothing but pride for the team he was tasked with leading as they showed their own initiative with ease. He had no idea exactly the history with Xenos but it gave him an ideal moment to cut in and try to divert the attention so Shengyu, Echo, and Astra could take advantage of the seeming lack of interest this woman had in them.

“Huh looks like your experiment there isn’t going so well. In fact if I had to guess I’d imagine you’re really not much but a failure considering you were apparently jailed for your sloppiness.”

His weapon would be hard to draw on her if he wanted to hold her attention and keep her from quickly going on the offensive but he’d been more than used to making himself out to be the bait. He continued taking yet another step towards the woman while aiming to separate from Team Soda, an action that would force her attention on himself.

“But I’m sure there’s some actual reason you’d make this offer, considering if we don’t have interest in it you’re the one standing at a loss.”

________

Roda the Red Roda the Red @miki @The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings BluEndings Elenion Aura Elenion Aura Nobody Special Nobody Special

Let's Split Up
 
RAV TORAMA | BLOODWORKS

Rav narrowed his eyes as they entered the nest, scanning for movement, and, after a short walk, observed the junction before them where four tunnels branched out like skeletal fingers clawing into the earth. “These tunnels could collapse,” he muttered flatly to no one in particular, thinking aloud.

The four teams eventually split up, each squad vanishing down their chosen path, swallowed by darkness.

Bloodworks followed behind Matt, the sound of boots crunching softly against the dirt, the dim red glow of Rav’s suit casting faint streaks of light on the damp, resin-coated walls. “Ant spit…” he observed, his tone as dry as the air was damp. “Lovely.”

They pressed forward cautiously. “Masks on,” ordered Matt. Rav didn’t respond—his own mask already in place—and pulled his goggles over his eyes, proceeding. He felt a prickling sensation rise in his throat, the faint hint of a foul odor reaching his nostrils. Something was off, but he dismissed any creeping suspicions.

Just then, laughter—wild and unhinged—echoed down the tunnel, accompanied by the unmelodious burst of gunfire and a deep, resonating rumble that made the walls quake. “Sounds like a party.” A smirk tugged at Rav’s lips, adrenaline simmering beneath the surface at the promise of chaos approaching. His gloved fingers traced the sharp teeth of the chainsaw blade strapped to his side, itching to use it.

As they neared the chamber, his breathing became tight. His smirk dissolved and he cleared his throat quietly, hoping it would pass, but it didn’t. He felt Sav brush her hand against his glove. With every step, the air thickened, intensifying, clinging to his lungs and refusing to let go. It brought tears to his eyes but he tried to play it off. Even with his gas mask in place, he could feel the toxins seeping through… yet no one else seemed as affected… and that’s when he realized he had forgotten to deploy the filters. Dumbass.

Now that he had become aware, the situation seemed to escalate. It was as if his ignorance had been the main thing holding him together.

Rav fell a few steps behind, his chest tightening with an alarming weight as he watched the silhouettes of his team steadily advance. Though, he knew it wouldn’t be long before Sav noticed.

Shit, and after I told her I was good to go. With practiced efficiency, restraining the storm brewing in his lungs, he adjusted his mask. The filters clicked into place, and the soft hiss of oxygen boosters activating in his chest plate provided immediate relief; though, it didn’t erase the sensation of a spider with needles for legs writhing in his windpipe.

His body language betrayed his struggle—hunkered and stiff—but he wouldn’t allow himself to make a scene. At least, not more than the one he was already making.

A second passed and Rav straightened, forcing his posture into something resembling nonchalance. Awkward. He fell back in line with the others and their pace quickened at Matt’s behest, the team cutting through the oppressive haze. Visibility was shit, but at least he could breathe again. Small wins.

Upon reaching the chamber, the team was met by the sight of a blurred, shadowy figure moving through the veil, its movements jagged and unnatural like a marionette. With the gunfire came flashes briefly illuminating the cavern like stuttering lightening. Rav reached for the chainsaw blade at his side, preparing himself for a fight. “Sooo?” He looked to Matt for an order, but the lead was already on it. Sav, too, was taking the initiative to clear the smoke via alchemy.

Before he knew it, the pollution was thinning and the whirlwind of chaos subsided. Matt approached the operative with an air of familiarity, addressing her affectionately, and Rav watched from a distance. “Do we… all gotta call’er that?” he asked, his voice tinged with reluctance.

Without awaiting an answer, he followed Matt’s orders to keep themselves spread. In a relaxed motion, Rav unclipped his chainsaw blade from his side and held it steady in his left hand. A soft, mechanical whir announced the activation of the mechanism embedded in his right gauntlet and, from the forearm of the suit, a retractable servo-motor limb extended—its components powered by Gaia. Rav aligned the chainsaw blade with the mounting point and a faint click produced as it snapped into place, securing the blade.

“Alright,” he asked in a low voice, “where ya at, ya bastards?” Clearly his priorities aligned more with fighting than securing any cargo.

Bloodworks: Beann Beann The Regal Rper The Regal Rper FabulousTrash FabulousTrash AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa

LET'S SPLIT UP!

 
ANT NEST - TEAM LUMEN
Geez, how annoying can you get?

Mast was initially referring to Maylee’s blurting out of her real name, which quickly prompted an irritated crink in her eyebrow paired with a scowl. However, when she noticed the group leaving two of their own behind to handle Flay, a loud, frustrated sigh blew out from her lips.

Her anger was swiftly masked by a kind facade as her head tilted down to face the barely-shorter Karin.

Hey, I’m gonna scoop you up in a sec so we can get there faster, ‘kay?

Karin quietly peeked behind her to watch the pursuing Exterminators. A gleam of worry hit her eyes before she looked back at Mast, who was fiddling with a walkie talkie before finally snapping it on and clearing her throat to speak into it.

They’re following me. Can we get something to hold them off?

Then, like electronic toys being switched on and coming to life, two black ants dropped from the chamber’s roof, falling onto the ground and quickly jumping forward to block the exit Mast and Karin had taken.

However, much to the pink-haired Plaguer’s surprise, the ants failed to attack— instead remaining in front of the connecting tunnel and standing guard.

Umm… Hellooo? Gonna need a little more than that!

The ants remained on guard, blocking the entrance to the tunnel with their hardened bodies. But when they failed to attack the trailing team once again, Mast had seen enough. Without wasting another second, she scooped Karin into her arms, crouching low to the ground for a brief moment before suddenly contracting her powerful legs and bursting forward by an extreme distance.

Here we go!!

As the Plaguer attempted to flee, static echoed from the radio clipped to her hip. From it was a heavy, brooding man’s voice.

cHHHHTT–"

...There’s a disruptor.

Roach…"

...Handle it.

gxxberkit gxxberkit WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten Flatwoods Flatwoods .sol. .sol. Lucem Lucem Defender of Stories Defender of Stories
LET'S SPLIT UP
 
THALIA STERLING
The warning punches Thalia in her gut, enough to briefly steal the breath from her lungs. She knew Plaguers could show up. She knew it. However, facing that reality proves to be a struggle initially. Sick fucking bastards. Her anger simmers just below the surface, threatening to snap as the massacre before them becomes all she can focus on. The emptiness in the corpses’ eyes, the fear overwhelming their final expressions—every piece is hauntingly familiar, but she bars any more memories of her past teammates from infiltrating her thoughts.

A push from Nykia forces her to tear her gaze away from the fallen shocktroopers and move toward the front of their group. She casts a momentary look over her shoulder at the brewing trouble that Maylee and Cole have to face. While leaving them behind to deal with the obnoxious pest, Flay, makes the most sense, she can’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort at the unknown.

Her jaw tightens as she turns and shifts her attention to following their new targets. A placating smile forms on her face, but she remains prepared to act quickly. She raises her voice loud enough to reach the two ahead of them, “hey—Mast, was it? Care to stay and have a little chat?”

The pink-haired Plaguer’s unsurprising decline of her offer comes in the form of two Gigapods being unleashed from the chamber’s roof. Though, their lack of immediate aggression clearly defies her expectations and impedes their effort to escape. “Seems like your puppets aren’t too keen on a fight.” Thalia wastes no additional time before taking advantage of the oddity. In an attempt to prevent the ants from closing the distance themselves, she whips out her weapon and aims a few freezing rounds at their legs. This way, at least some of the team might have a chance to slip by if their leader chooses to send them.

Nobody Special Nobody Special gxxberkit gxxberkit WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten Flatwoods Flatwoods Lucem Lucem Defender of Stories Defender of Stories
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ANT NEST - TEAM BLOODWORKS

With the cloud of smog slowly erased by Savannah’s giant lily, the battlefield that Team Bloodworks had initially entered blind was now clear to see.

The chamber was surprisingly roomy, with more than enough space to sprint, jump, and dive as much as one pleased. However, much like the other chambers their fellow Exterminators had entered, the ground was lightly seasoned with a few shocktrooper corpses– the only difference was that the cadavers on the chamber’s floor appeared to be crushed under a massive amount of weight, rather than by the hands of a human being.

Now that their vision was restored, the Exterminators could see that there were large, brown spots hiding away in the dark ceiling. With their cover blown, the spots extended their legs and began to move, revealing themselves to be gigapods with large, shield-shaped backs.

Stink bugs.

Next, the elephant in the room presented itself. A gargantuan pill bug; the one responsible for the trembling floor and the noise, coiled into its defensive form and ready to attack once again. Normally, a gigapod would simply attack the closest person to it indiscriminately, in hopes of eliminating them and consuming them. However, the pill bug seemed to ignore Matteo and the remaining shocktrooper– who had been volleying rounds into its hard shell alone until the rest of Team Bloodworks had arrived. Instead, it mechanically turned in Savannah’s direction and began barrelling towards her and her plant at an alarming speed.

Anticipating the demise of the threat towards their blinding, pungent chemical spray, the stink bugs remained on top of the chamber, scattering to new positions and resuming their biological assault on their enemies to support their larger ally in battle.

The Regal Rper The Regal Rper simj26 simj26 AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa FabulousTrash FabulousTrash Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean Beann Beann

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ANT NEST - TEAM SODA
Echo’s words forced a chuckle out of the woman’s mouth, which she quickly covered with her hand. Her heeled foot rose from the hand of her seat, and she reached into her pocket to produce a nail file, which she promptly began performing self-care with.

Then, it’s a good thing you aren't the control group.

Like rats, they approached her one by one, each adding their two cents with seemingly no major reaction to the massacre she had spread out for them. As she continued to groom herself, the tall one stepped forward next to speak with her.

Is what I’ve done truly rare?” She jumped in, sparing him no eye contact while she inspected her hand, switching the file to the opposite set of fingers. “...Or have your freakish eyes just been shielded from seeing the real 'world'?

Her filing paused, and her black eyes darted to meet Enoch’s curious gaze.

I know who you are, boy. You’re no stranger to–

Her words were divided by an iron wall of repulsively familiar maniacal laughter. The only other one she knew– the insolent brat. As if suddenly disgusted by it, she tossed her metal file onto the ground, and it now sat inches away from her prisoner.

Procopiou.” She reluctantly acknowledged the man’s presence, reaching into her jacket to procure her next item– a hand fan that she promptly unfolded and cooled herself off with. “You’re still in contact with your coworkers? Good. I want to see your face when I deliver their heads to you.

A grin etched itself onto her face, concealed by the decorated leaves of her fan.

Yes, you always did love your experiments, didn’t you… Perhaps you’ll be a spectator in this one…

She giggled softly to herself as the spears of steel positioned themselves in her direction, her shoulders jumping up and down with each huff of laughter pushing itself through her lips. Her sinister thoughts nearly tuned out the blue-haired Exterminator’s speech, had she not happened to be dissecting him with her eyes when he began speaking.

Children should keep quiet and mind their business,” She snapped. “You Exterminators sure do talk tough, considering your line of work.

She failed to stifle her sadistic laughter. “Hee-heeeh… Yes, you’re all so tough… It’s adorable. But, I am miles ahead of those mindless beasts you take pride in dispatching.

She flicked her wrist, snapping her fan shut and revealing her tainted sneer.

I want to know… hee-heeeh… I want to KNOW!! How will you worms fare against an opponent with a–

You all talk too damn much.

Over the sound of the woman’s laughter, the harsh buzz of Shengyu’s wings descended. A flash of black chitin streaked across the bloodsoaked cavern, and she swung the rough, barbed edge of her scabbard directly at the woman’s neck. Within one breath, she had been at her team’s side, and within the next she was upon their foe, her face bent into a deep, furious scowl.

The delusions of the woman was something he had no interest in. Just as he expected Shengyu capitalized on opportunity. He broke into a run pulling out one of his spears for a defending focusing more on taking the first chance to collect the man below her.

The woman’s laughter paused when Shengyu struck with a loud thud. Her dark pupils slowly drifted to look at her attacker, and her smile faded, replaced by an unamused glare.

I detest impatient test subjects, girl.

The fan in her hand could now be found guarding her jugular, its metal exterior screeching as it scraped against the serrated edge of Shengyu’s sheath. Her sole wrist began to shake under the pressure of the attack, but she kept her guard firm, uncrossing her legs to get a better hold on her defense.

Ananda’s charge would have to be dealt with next. Her once manic expression now re-veiled by a pensive, calculating one, the Plaguer snapped the fingers of her glove-clad free hand, the sound reverberating throughout the chamber.

Sprautu.

Ripping itself from the shadows, the silhouette in the chamber’s corner burst forward in a black blur, ripping through the earth beneath it and spearheading directly for Ananda. A pair of black boots scraped against the dirt floor beneath it as it came to a halt in the way of the blue haired Exterminator’s trajectory, now standing between him and the paralyzed Shocktrooper he intended to rescue.

Whrrrrrrrr…

eNgouVa.png


Standing before Ananda was what appeared to be a tall, masked man in a suit. As it positioned itself for combat, its arms and hands were revealed to be plated in the same dark metal armor that shielded its head, and three vials full of ominous, colorful liquids were fixed along its back.

Tired of struggling against her opponent’s strength, the woman lifted her foot again and smashed her heel into the already damaged hand of her hostage. Another excruciating holler filled the chamber.

Back. Now. Or I’ll finish him off.” She hissed, her fatigued arm shaking more violently with each passing second. “You’ll play by my rules, or we won’t play at all.

Shengyu’s teeth gritted, her eyes cast in the form of a glare over the trembling edge of the woman’s fan. This close, she was sure that she could draw her blade with enough swiftness to take the woman’s head… But she was less sure that she could do so before she executed the hostage, still trembling beneath her.

You’re sick.” She spat, both figuratively and literally, before relieving the pressure of her blade and withdrawing a few steps back.

What’s your game?” Shengyu’s blade fell to her side, her palm laid to rest atop the hilt. Her eyes narrowed on the woman’s captive. If they could just wrest him free, then she would’ve been out of cards to play. Even with the sudden appearance of her ally, they still had her outnumbered more than two to one.

I’ll play, so long as you let him go.

The woman’s fan unfolded once again, covering the pleased leer on her face.

Like I said, I’m just doing an experiment. It’s time to show the world just how inept you Badgers are when the time comes to face a capable threat.

BriiAngelic BriiAngelic @miki BluEndings BluEndings @The One Eyed Bandit Roda the Red Roda the Red Elenion Aura Elenion Aura

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XENOS

Xenos had remained strangely passive at the sight of the confrontation ahead of him. The dim light on the clearing reflected upon his glasses, concealing his golden eyes. It was not out of a lack of assertiveness, or a fear of confrontation, such was the very reason he had joined the exterminators, after all!

Nay, it was the difficulty of landing a clear attack on Miori while Shengyu was right up to her jugular with razor killing intent. Just one centimeter off, and he might accidentally run a metal spike through his dear companion's stomach

⬩ ⬥ ❖ ⬥ ⬩


Lucky for the scientist, the clash had reached something of a stalemate, leaving the tiniest opening for his allies. Although his target might have changed now.

"Oh my, does that mean we are being filmed? Otherwise this would be a pretty strange way to want to show the world our ineptitude, given we are on such a remote corner of the underground." He shrugged, however, one of his hands made a particular sign, one he hoped that the evil doctor, in her short time as a terrorist, hadn't learned to discern just yet, one that essentially spelled 'Go!'

"But if it is a test of our mettle that you desire, then I might oblige and be on the other end, just this ONCE!" As he last spoke, a swing of his arm commanded all four lances to propel themselves at Sprautu, before charging right behind them, the metal on his gauntlets elongating until they formed foot-long razor claws.

Hopefully, if he was able to properly draw the attention of the hulking individual, Ananda and Shengyu might have better chances at securing the hostage.

BriiAngelic BriiAngelic @miki BluEndings BluEndings Elenion Aura Elenion Aura @The One Eyed Bandit
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Emily Forger

That was laughter they heard, right? Laughter was good! Laughter meant life and high morale! And as Matt called out to her, Emily looked in awe. "You know her?" she said, eyes sparkling. She nodded in agreement with his 'fine' comment. "It's good that she is very fine! We need everyone at their healthiest to make it through!" They must have been swell friends if he knew her health!

Unfortunately, there was little time for more pleasantries.

"Nice job, Savannah!" Emily cheered, taking this time to find their foes. "Target spotted!" she said, eyeing the giant pill bug and its rapid approach. She scrambled over to BILLY, sliding on her knees as she swiped Betty the rocket launcher into her arms. There was no better target for explosives than a big, tanky foe. Piercing rounds should do the trick.

Betty, which was almost as big as Emily herself, extended out as she filled its four barrels with rockets. Peering through the scope, she said in a sing-songy tone, "Everyone stand clear~!" She took a breath. "Firing!"

In rapid succession, the four rockets flew from the weapon, screaming through the air and leaving trails of smoke. "BILLY! Another round, please!" The robot crawled over, offering the rest of ammunition for another volley.

Nobody Special Nobody Special The Regal Rper The Regal Rper simj26 simj26 Beann Beann @Bloodworks
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Karina McDowell
Sawyer Group
Reinforcements! Finally! Here to rescue a damsel in some level of distress! As the smoke began to dissipate, the filters on her helmet cleared up just enough for her to start breathing normally again. “A little bit late, but I could still kiss all of you!” she remarked. Even if she couldn’t see his face, there was only one kind of dumbass who called her by that embarrassingly cute nickname. It certainly brought a different kind of smile to her face. She slammed another magazine into her rifle. “Bastard’s up and left! Said somethin’ about his cargo!” Despite the language, the static of her helmet barely disguised her chuckle, as if this setback was a joke. “We’ll chat about it once we’re in the clear! We’ve got targets above us!

With the line of sight to her targets clear, and with the doll of an Engineer turning her attention towards the bigger threat, Karina raised her rifle, aiming her grenade launcher upwards at the stink bugs. “Die, ya filthy arthropods!” With a ‘thump’ of released gas pressure, a round shape shot out from the underbarrel attachment, sailing towards the stink bugs above.
 
OSKAR EIDE
Being the furthest behind in the group, Oskar was the last to be hit by the smell of blood and he did his best not to turn away in disgust. No.. There’s no way… He looked to the ground at the corpses littered around the place. Of course, he knew with the job there was always a good chance of this happening to a group. But there was no way they could be next. With his claw poised in case of any surprise attacks, he listened with disgust as the Plaguers spoke.

”Are you sure?” Oskar whispered involuntarily as Cole, and then Maylee went to face Flay. He didn’t expect to receive an answer and he didn’t disagree with the choice, but it felt a little insane to go straight for it after seeing how many shocktroopers were already killed. He guessed if they succeeded in their mission, it would all be worth it…

The ants positioned in their way were a problem, but Oskar found himself impressed by Thalia’s quick actions. He progressed forward with the group, keeping towards the back with the leader.

”Let’s hurry, before she gets too far.”
LET'S SPLIT UP

 
Tia Voler


There was a long period of silence after Mars had instructed someone named Tia to escort the merchant to safety. A quick glance in the direction he had directed these words would quickly reveal that there had been no one standing there at all, and may even elicit a little 'hah ?' of surprise. The silverfish Entomen was nowhere to be seen, which was not a good look for the newest member of Team Gunnar. She was, unsurprising to no one who knew her well, asleep, in the rear compartment of the humvee the red team had arrived in, her very tiny form concealed beneath a hand-knit poncho, with a grey body and white stripes, the top of her frilly head being slightly visible, the article of clothing barely moving with the rising and falling of her breathing. She suddenly wakens, the comically large snot bubble hanging from her nostril popping as she sits up in the cargo trunk, looking up, around, and over at where her team would have sat, finding nothing. She seemed to be a very heavy sleeper, as even if someone had bothered to jostle her, she would've stayed asleep. Bleary-eyed, she swings her legs over the back of the vehicle, dropping out of it after falling a relatively long distance. Beneath the makeshift blanket, she was wearing a military plugsuit, primarily a black color, with some yellow accents. She does a biiiig stretch, before turning her attention to the yawning maw of the bug nest that was before her, deciding that must be where everyone was, dashing forth with her arms behind her back, as if she were gliding off the ground. She sniffs the air once she's inside the hive proper, following her nose to the acid disposal room. "Mmm... smells yummy !" She turns the corner, using her left foot as a brake, before she jets off into the room where the rest of her team was waiting for her, accompanied by the sounds of the footfalls of her bare feet. "Hi, everybody ! It's me !" She waves with one arm, with exaggerated force. Her sprightly, bell-like voice would draw attention, her eyes becoming two little slits, as the pitch-dark in the sockets are concealed, her pointy teeth showing as she grins. While the rest of Team Gunnar might be glad to see her show up, a few mosquito Gigapods are not, a trio of buzzing whines accompanying their flight towards her, Tia's head snapping to look, and sizing them up. "Oh, right, there's bugs !" She does a side jump, using her left leg to move into the air and closer to a nearby wall, using it to push off with both legs even higher into the air, right in front of the three skeeters. She twists her weight through the space between them, using her powerful limbs to barrage the trine of Gigapods with mid-air knees and kicks, accompanied by Tia's sounds of exertion and the snapping of chitin and carapace as she cracks their armor, causing two of them to be sent hurtling down to the ground. She grabs the third by it's proboscis, twisting it's neck backwards as she somersaults onto it's back, using the momentum to do a vertical dropkick right down onto it as she lands. She sends a second strike of her strong legs into the Gigapod's side, kickflipping it like a skateboard as they begin to plummet downwards, softening the landing with it's body as they, too, crash down to the floor, the impact busting open the bug's underbelly, skidding across the ground a short distance, before she takes a combat knife out of her shin sheathe, stabbing down into it's broken apart backplate, right into the exposed flesh, a large geyser of it's blood painting her face in the dark color. She cleans the blade with her blue tongue, which seems to glow in the low light of the cavern, drinking the mosquito's blood, before she sheathes the knife, giving another wave, with both hands this time, to her compatriots, still standing atop the flying Gigapod, giving another winning smile, her tail waggling behind her. "Sorry I'm late ! I was 'eepin !"

Let's Split Up

 
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CALLAHAN LUCERO
'Steady hands, Callahan. Steady hands.'

The thought echoed in Callahan's mind as she forced herself to stay present in the moment. To not let her knees shake too badly from everything around her. Her brain was fighting between going in autopilot and following Nykia like the Exterminator she wanted to be. Or running away like the civilian she still felt she was.

It was just... a lot. The smell of blood, two Plaugers, the gigapods about them the child they had to save. And the pile of bodies, serving as a reminder for the consequences. What a fun first mission this was. At least it was all made slightly better the fact that their orders weren't to attack. Yet. Well, at least Callahan wasn't meant to. She gave a quick look back to Cole and Maylee, her lips twitched with concern. Surely they'd be alright? Wait, would her moving forward ahead affect their ability to see? Would she have to increase the brightness of her light? Hold on, Entomen could see in the dark right–

The ants took Callahan by surprise, a small gasp slipping past their lips. It wasn't that they couldn't handle their challenge, it was more that they were once again reminded of the threats around them. They could pounce on them at any moment, from above, below. Sure Cole had it handled, but what if...

'Snap out of it Callahan', The alchemist reminded herself. There was no time for distractions.

Thanks to Thalia, it didn't seem like getting past the ants was much of a problem. Callahan gripped her morningstar tighter, before clicking the back of her boots together. A low whirr sound came from underneath as she boosted herself over them, till she clicked her heels back together and the alchemist landed safely back on the tunnel floor. It'd probably be more ideal to use her boots instead to close the gap, but Callahan didn't want to break the formation as it was. Besides, she needed all the Gaia she could save. She turned back to nod at Oskar, a little bit of confidence returning with her. They could do this. Callahan could do this.
LET'S SPLIT UP
 
ANT NEST - TEAM BLOODWORKS
The rockets ripped through the air as they flew straight into the trajectory of the surging pill bug.

Slow down.

Immediately, the gigapod slowed to a lumbering pace, halting itself by scraping its legs into the soil beneath it. Three of Emily’s rockets screamed past the pill bug, missing their targets and slamming into the chamber’s walls, but the remaining one ripped into the chitin shield of its plating, briefly knocking it over and prompting a screeching release of alarm pheromones.

The explosions against the wall along with the blast from Karina's launcher shook the chamber, causing the ground to rattle and the roof to tremor. Pieces of earth were torn from the top of the room and fell upon exterminators and gigapods alike. The stinkbugs leapt from the falling chunks, taking advantage of the chaos in order to multiply it. They continued to spray their musk and disrupt Team Bloodworks’ vision, buying time for the pill bug to lift itself before leaping away from Karina’s gunfire.

One of the stink bugs was tagged by Karina’s bullet, falling over and writhing about in pain on the crumbled ground. The remaining swarm switched on the offensive, leaving trails of murky fog as they leapt towards Rav, Esther and Matteo.

Maddened by the attack it withstood, the pill bug ripped up the turf beneath it, resuming its charge and homing in on Emily. Its speed seemingly doubled, shaking the ground even more as it rushed her, hoping to crush her under its massive weight before she had a chance to reload the instrument that harmed it.

If Savannah were to seek out her plant for assistance, she would notice that it was now laying on the ground, blackened by a dusting of soft dirt and slowly becoming veiled by a haze of fumes. Its stem had been cleanly severed, but no blade was in sight.

The Regal Rper The Regal Rper simj26 simj26 AriAriAbabwa AriAriAbabwa FabulousTrash FabulousTrash Doctor Llamabean Doctor Llamabean Beann Beann

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Ananda Das

♫♪♫♪ I Am My Own Muse ♫♪♫♪

The charge was expected, which is probably the only reason he managed to bring up his weapon fast enough to protect himself. Surprisingly though it didn’t immediately try to maul him. He wasn’t feeling confident about this game she wanted to play but each horrid scream cut him to the core.

Shengyu was more than trustworthy, but he wondered how well this would all play out considering they needed to separate than man from the assailant if he was to have any chance at living. It took little time for a new plan to be enacted though as Xenos charged the creature poised to attack Ananda.

Well time for Plan B. The woman was certainly not going to play nice with that happening. He loaded a projectile in his atal and flung it with all his might aiming to spear her arm. She was the issue and needed to be neutralized first. Xenos might have just cost them the hostage’s life. He could only hope Enoch, Astraela, and Echo would be able to swoop in and help keep her attention divided.

“THIS WAY BITCH! You think some little PET is going to scare HUNTERS!”
________

Roda the Red Roda the Red @miki @The One Eyed Bandit BluEndings BluEndings Elenion Aura Elenion Aura Nobody Special Nobody Special

Let's Split Up
 




Matt | Arc 1: Abandoned Ant Nest





Karina’s cheerful reply had at least said she was still in always fighting spirits, even if the audio came with static and disoriented some of the words. What caught him momentarily was the statement, about something relating to cargo.

Matt fired several shots at some of the gigapods up on the ceiling, having caught sight of things clearly thanks to the cleared atmosphere by Sav, he aimed to fire at the bug producing it, only to have his attention perk up when he heard mechanical whirring and Emily's voice.

A jolt went down his spine.

The rockets.

He didn't get the words out when he turned his attention to the barrelling gigapods heading right at her, in fact what he did see that caught him by surprise was the way the beast slowed, or came to a skidding halt as the rockets went right past it just narrowly.

With no time to really choose between firing on the bug or minimizing casualties, Matt moved quickly. He pointed both guns at the ceiling and fired directly at the location above him and Karina, a green goo adhesive spreading out like a massive blanket and covering the surface as the first rocket struck and the second followed, rocks that would have been dislodged above him instead of coming crashing down, merely released tiny dust particles and pebbles as the adhesive goo did it's job.

He pointed at rocks coming down on his peers and with marksmanship that would make a sharpshooter’s brow rise, fired rapid shots in quick succession of large goo globs that snatched the worst of the rubble coming down out of the air as they careened towards some of his allies where he could spot them up ahead. Not only did this take up more focus, but it also prevented him from turning to direct proper fire on one of the bugs charging him and Karina as he felt something clamp down somewhere on one of his armored sections while he began firing at the swarm now with vision muddied by the insects spraying their foul mist.




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ANT NEST - TEAM GUNNAR
FWOOSH!

The chamber’s temperature rose with each flaming-hot attack Mars threw at the horde of ants surrounding him. Not only were they overwhelmed by the number of these things hiding in the trash chamber of all places, but they also had to focus on protecting somebody now. Not to mention the potential casualties to consider, and the fact that he wasn’t able to keep an eye over the other teams between the tunnel’s thick walls.

Damn it, you little shits’re are really…

A conflagration of scarlet flames shot out from his hands, spreading out along the ground and blazing any ant legs that dared to veer too close. It forced most of the gigapods to fall back– giving him some much-needed breathing room, but there would always be the brave few who never backed down. He noticed a black figure spring into the sky from the corner of his eyes, just as his beloved sunglasses lost their grip on his face from the sweat and went plummeting towards the ground.

ANNOYING!!

The Exterminator swung his hand to the side, gripping onto the pursuing ant’s antennae. With a frustrated grunt, he shifted his weight, using the momentum to sling the heavy ant into position for him to incinerate the insect with an explosive fiery kick. Smoke hissed from the bottom of his boot as he looked back at the corpse with a hopeful smirk. They could do this!

Unnati, on the other hand, was drowning– in a well of despair, thankfully, and not in the bubbling pool of acid she had escaped. Ever since that blue flying wench cussed at her and tossed her to the side, her fear had skyrocketed further than she’d imagined it could ever go.

Damn you, you little…” She dramatically whined, pushing herself off of the ground and flicking the dirt from the fall off of her pink locks. “You’re lucky you can fly, or I’d– BWAAAHHH!!!

The merchant’s screech was much louder than her reserved threats as another mosquito began a proboscis-diving descent in her direction. She shielded her face with her arms, but before the masked woman was hit, a pale blur zipped in and intercepted the attack, saving her life while simultaneously covering her in an explosion of blood.

Glad you were able to join us, Tia!” Mars called out, shooting the newbie a finger-gun and slipping down to grab his glasses before kicking a flaming hole into the thorax of a nearby ant. Before he could regain his footing, a sudden BOOM followed by a quaking ground sent him falling on his back.

Shit–!

Shortly after, a smaller explosion rocked the chamber again, causing some small patches of loose dirt to sprinkle onto gigapods and Exterminators alike. Mars quickly performed a kip-up to get back on his feet, before craning his head to the left– where one of the other teams were.

Looks like we aren’t the only ones fightin’.” He called out to his teammates, shooting a plume of fire upward to burn the wings off of a mosquito that was approaching Vesper. “Let’s finish things up here and see if we can help the others out!

ALSOOOOOOO!!” Unnati cried out, running away from one of the jumping ants in an almost comedic nature. “I need someone to keep these THINGS away from meeee!!!

@angel doe @xulosxv Ram Abbalah Ram Abbalah AzaleaWonderland AzaleaWonderland
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ANT NEST - TEAM LUMEN

Nykia huffed. Whether it was one of her rare, wheezy “laughs,” or a puff of irritation, it was hard to tell.

The ants were never going to be a problem, not with Cole active in the same room as them. Using a round to incapacitate them? Nykia wouldn't have done it. But… well. Nykia could agree that it was better to be safe than sorry. What would be a problem would be Cole possibly being downed, but she had confidence in the pair she left behind. So, she pushed—quite literally—the remaining people in her group forward. She moved behind Callahan first to toss them up into the air, hoping they’d get the memo with their little boots. A light tap to their arm, and then Nykia was pointing in front of the absconding pair, using her hand to pretend to shoot a laser in front of them. Oskar got a quick shove forward before Nykia weaved past him to get to the water alchemist. The two of them went airborne, Thalia scooped up into Nykia’s arms without warning.

A finger tapped Thalia’s gun and then pointed towards Mast’s feet. And, with no other instruction, Thalia was thrown in their direction.

Nykia flitted forward, her eyes on the group of girls beneath her. But, as she flew over them, a sense of something came across her, and, instinctively, she looked up.

As soon as she landed, Mast quickly snapped her head back to check on her pursuers. When she saw that they had made it past the defective ants, she clicked her teeth in frustration.

Damn it… I gotta go faster…!!

The girl’s legs tensed up once again, locking into position as her piston-like heartbeat pumped energy into the very fibers of her muscles, before bursting forward again at a breakneck speed.

Hold on, Karin!

The Exterminators each managed to squeeze past the ants, who were still passively immobilized and focused more on freeing themselves from danger than the intruders slipping into the area they were meant to guard. It seemed as though victory were imminent– that they would be able to detain the flea and recover the child before things got too far out of hand.

However, when Nykia looked up to face what she sensed, the group’s morale would quickly plummet.

Looks like you need some help, big-sis!

AD_4nXe6eEbXjNkfilhALAnietyNbDQ8Rv6PrLKgMHx8Q35dXsf_X_7D9q_FFFqvBGNfrV5HMSm9mZsE10h6-XOtpZzwtdk_RgXZn4A8b8T8TdgS8vByBq6E5xSFRzJ-punZJkel5jcbNA


From the shadows, a cold, razor sharp blade descended upon Nykia, void of sound. It narrowly missed the exterminator’s body, instead sinking into the ground beneath it like a spear from the heavens. Shortly after the blade dropped, seven more came falling after it, all neatly surrounding the torso of a young boy who gracefully dropped to the ground with a sadistic grin.

Welcome, Exterminators!” He greeted them mid-air, landing on his feet with great agility. The first blade scraped a deep line into the ground as it dragged itself back into place amongst the rest.

Min-su!” Mast yelled back, refusing to stop her sprint for any reason. “Keep them back!

Way ahead of you…” The lilac-haired Plaguer pushed himself up from his crouched position, standing straight and facing his opponents. Like a beast staring down its prey, his cold eyes stared each of the Exterminators down as they approached him. But when his eyes landed on one particular member of Lumen’s party, his expression twisted into a surprised one.

Woah! A scorpion!” He called out, pointing at Oskar as his lips curled into a smile. “I heard you guys have a spider, too? You guys sure are lucky, we’ve barely got any arachnids on our side! Oops– should I not have said that?
He shrugged nonchalantly, three of the eight blades surrounding him shooting out towards Nykia, Thalia, and Callahan– surprisingly sparing Oskar.

What’s your name, Scorpion? You should join us! Maeve would love it if we had another arachnid with us!

( Collab w/ gxxberkit gxxberkit ) WhiskeyMarten WhiskeyMarten Flatwoods Flatwoods .sol. .sol.
LET'S SPLIT UP
 

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