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Post by Marshmallow on Apr 25, 2017 23:51:34 GMT -6
This Round...
Ari remained safely hidden in the brush, the camera's roaming eye was unable to find him. As the others moved in to subdue the sentries, Ari's only companion was the steady and insistent pull of the Pact magic, demanding he move forward and.. down? It seemed to be compelling him into the mountain?
Sarkany stashed the unconscious guard in the brambles after looting the man's ID card, uniform and rifle. A weapon and a disguise would surely come in handy!
Bruse focused his ghostly energies upon the camera, in the hopes of giving his companions cover to dispatch the remaining guard. His efforts paid off in spades. The camera's slow arc stuttered to a halt, the mechanisms whining in protest as the feed was interrupted. Somewhere within the compound, a screen displaying the camera's view blinked and fritzed, lines of static making the image indecipherable. The interruption was brief; a few moments later, the camera resumed its swivel and the feed stabilized. But it was enough.
Taconin, Viktoria, and Raine chose to deal with the remaining guard. Under their combined efforts, the sentry was helpless to fight back. The man froze in his struggles as the nightmare beast that was Taconin rose behind the grey-skinned humanoid, but his scream of terror was cut short by Viktoria's close-range punch. The sharp jab was enough to stun any remaining fight out of the man, allowing her to easily immobilize him in her grip. At the sound of breaking glass, the guard clenched his eyes shut, expecting the sound to herald either his imminent death, or rescue. What he got instead was a brief sensation of deep cold seeping into his neck, and then nothingness as Raine's icy grip rendered him unconscious.
Now...
With both guards down for the count, and no sign of alarms or reinforcements, the way is clear and quiet for the group to advance. Inside the checkpoint station lay a console with the controls for the gate: a simple lever with one end marked to open, the other to close, and a button just to the side activate or disable the fence's electric current - which would certainly have been a nasty surprise if they had tried to go around. A slide of the lever sets the gate to rolling aside, unblocking the road forward...
Ahead, the dark road bends one final time before widening considerably, the single lane of crushed stone and gravel merging into a flat expanse of asphalt - a landing pad judging by the shadowed shape of the helicopter parked here. This is no civilian news chopper; it seems to be military grade. Thankfully it also appears unmanned and inactive. A few trucks and small cars are lined up on the far edge of the platform, opposite the chopper. And dead ahead, beyond the parked vehicles, loom the massive steel doors of a hangar set into the mountain face.
Floodlights bathe the hangar doors in bright white, also revealing a smaller side door half hidden by the chopper's outline. The rest of the lot is comparatively dark, save for a lone lamp post that protrudes from the treeline near the line of parked cars. The light it casts is relatively dim, barely extending beyond the cars parked beneath it. But it does carry a pair of stationary cameras, angled to watch the open space below and to cover the chopper. At this distance it's difficult to tell, but more cameras are almost a certainty closer to the huge doors.
Another armed guard, this time a woman, stands watch between the hangar and the personnel doors. Heavy booted footsteps sound in the darkness, and the small cone of a flashlight's glow comes slowly into view from around the tail end of the chopper - a patrol guard.
The wide area is mostly dark, but open. The only opportunities for cover it seems are the vehicles under the lamp, and the chopper.
How will the rescuers proceed?
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Post by tsukikoko on May 4, 2017 11:43:56 GMT -6
[OOC: Viktoria frisks the guard and hut for any weaponry, takes at least the side arm the guard was going for earlier and familiarises herself with the weapon. Briefly tries to talk to Bruse, then starts talking tactics with the rest of the party.]
As soon as the guard slumped forward and became a dead weight, Viktoria knew he had succumbed to unconsciousness and allowed his body to drop to the floor of the guard hut. She quickly checked his uniform, pockets, belt and desk for any firearms, pocketing the side arm he had been trying to reach and anything else she could find. The humanoid gave the gun a cursory check-over; the weapons of this world were very different from the ones she knew, heavier and comprised of more moving parts, with no rechargeable battery pack. Luckily, a lifetime of military training and weapon disassembly made Viktoria very comfortable around guns and she soon figured out how to eject the magazine and, crucially, where the safety catch was situated. The humanoid took a moment to investigate the slugs of metal inside the magazine, one of her ears tilting as remembered the burning pain to her flesh a bullet had caused previously - crude but effective, these metal objects. Once the magazine was safely secured, Viktoria tested out pulling on the top of the gun, finding that, as she suspected, it slid backwards. Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of something moving into the barrel of the gun, presumably the first of the bullets. Well, that answered the question of what the slide was for. Gun loaded, the feline slowly moved her arm up and down, the weight of the gun suiting her large hand better than any laser pistol ever had. She liked these.
Having familiarised herself with the weapon, Viktoria turned her attention now to Raine and the unconscious guard, "Ve should.. ah... be tying him up. Cables perrhaps?" she indicated the myriad of computer cabling strewn about the hut, which drew her attention to a lever with two simple options - open or close. With a glance around and a small shrug of her shoulders, the humanoid slid the lever to the 'open' position, then listened as the gate outside effortlessly glided across. She huffed, a wordless signal of 'well that solves that then'. Attention now back on Raine, if he wanted her to tie up the guard she would do so, but if he preferred to she left him to it. Either way, once the guard was secured, she shifted her focus to the incorporeal presence she had been feeling since back in the trees, moving to the doorway of the guard hut but keeping out of the way of the camera still making slow arcs above her. She raised her voice slightly, not knowing where exactly Bruse was, but sure he was in the vicinity based on the familiar chill across her skin and her desire to stare at apparently nothing. "Brrruse, zhat iz you, da?," Viktoria waited a moment, to see if her ghostly acquaintance would make himself known, before she continued, "If you arrre.. ah, herre to be helping, vould be good to.. distrrract guarrds or.. ah, camerras, if iz possible?"
Now that she had a moment to survey her surroundings a bit more, Viktoria could make out the top of a helicopter further in the distance, the characteristic rotor blades hard to mistake for anything else. She spoke, half to herself just to voice her thoughts and half to anyone who might be listening, "Hyave only stolen helicopterrr beforre von time, but.. could be good escape if... ah, ve arre needing." Depending on who had gathered near the open gate now, Viktoria addressed the group, unable to help herself from trying to direct the team as if this were one of her old missions. "Iz best if.. ah, stealthy people arre... taking carre of guarrds vhen possible, hopefully Brrruse iz on camerras. You, small shadow crreaturre.. I am, ah, sorrry, Taconin iz name? Can you be stealthy as cyat man? Best if can be getting as farrr as possible vithout alarrm rrraised, but.. ah, must admit, I am zinking ve vill hyave to.. 'go loud' at some point. Vhen zis is hyappen, trrry not to be separrated, do not take... ah, unneccessarrrry rrisks, do not engage unless you arre surre you are hyaving upper hand, know how to fight, orrr hyave no choice. Rrrememberr, ve arre no good dead." She looked pointedly in Ari's direction at her last statement, knowing how badly he wished to find Marchelute and how that could cloud his judgement. The large feline paused, suddenly aware that she might be coming across too heavy-handed, so she posed a question to the group now, "Ve arre splitting into grroups, or stay all togetherr?"
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Post by MP on May 5, 2017 0:31:54 GMT -6
OOC: Sarky offers to turn himself in to get a look at defenses
Back at the gate, it seemed as though the situation had cleared itself up. Sarkany scanned the area - only a precaution really - and made his way back to the group, where Viktoria had gathered them all in a kind of huddle to talk tactics. She was addressing the air as he approached, and he cocked his head slightly, noticing the odd cold patch for the first time. So Bruse had found them somehow? That could be useful.
He glanced from one companion to the next as the humanoid turned to them, but his gaze was distracted at best. Golden eyes flickered slightly as if scanning unseen letters. His mouth was drawn down at one corner, a skeptical line as he debated. An idea was taking shape. He shot a glance toward the distant hangar door, arms folding in the cool night air. As the feline hesitated, he looked over.
"Groups may be safer. Easier to hide." A pause. "There's something else we can try. Ari - you remember the paper trick we used in the swamp?"
Sarkany pulled a small crumpled slip from his pocket, folded it once as if to demonstrate. His mouth twitched in a slight smile at the memory. It hadn't quite gone according to plan, as he recalled. Instead, Ari had set fire to the scrap along with most of his pocket.
"Let me go in," he said. "Give myself up. See how far they'll take me. Why break in if they'll open doors for us?"
He knew how it would sound, and he explained before anyone could protest. "I'll ask for Marchelute. Try to leave doors open for you as I go. Whatever defenses I find, I can communicate with this." He bent the paper scrap between his fingers. "Or Bruse can help, if he's here."
Sarkany shrugged, glancing again at the hangar door. "An inside eye might save us grief in the long run. And I can lie low if I have to, if things go wrong."
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Post by kilnarak on May 5, 2017 1:16:47 GMT -6
[ Currently Ari and Taconin are just trying to work out plans of action. Ari suggests that he might sneak in alone, instead of Sarkany. He does not like the idea of letting the fleshweasel be captured. Taconin suggests that Bruse find a way to turn out the lights. ]
When things had stilled within the checkpoint, Ari cautiously crept forward - looking every so often at the mountain. He could feel that Marche was there, somewhere. Below. He wished his claws were suited to digging through stone and dirt, as there seemed to be much of that between he and his mate. But... But this checkpoint and the structure it guarded... it must lead down into the depths of the mountain...
He had just reached the checkpoint building when Sarkany began to speak to him. He bit his lip at Sarky's words, his fingers twitching, flexing into fists until his nails bit his palms. "I... I remember. I don't-don't want to, though. I... I don't think that is a good idea. If-If they take you then... then we will have to rescue both-both of you..." If they could capture and effectively chain down his mate, what chance did Sarkany stand?
"M-Maybe you could... go in, but make-make them not see you, instead?" He didn't like the idea of splitting up but... But it might be their best chance. A large group together would draw more attention than a few infiltrators, alone... But then they also had more brute force, as a group... Well. All of them save him... All he had was the Pact, and the pull of it, and a little shadow magic, good for nothing but hiding, thieving... He worried his lip, flexing his fingers tight again. "I could-could go. Instead. I can st-stay hidden...?"
For his part, Taconin shifted back into his 'normal' form, falling to all fours within the checkpoint. He hovered over the unconscious man a moment, feeling about at his mind, trying to tap into any nightmares that might plague him while he was out. But he wasn't dreaming, his mind wasn't doing much now save the basic functions required to live. He withdrew - a touch reluctantly, then turned and pushed the door open, stepping out and picking up the ring he had dropped. He tipped his head to the side, eyeing it a moment, then decidedly reshaped a new set of hands for himself, curled close to his chest between his normal forelimbs. He slipped the ring onto one of the smaller, more humanoid fingers, then looked up to the others.
The demonling watched as they sorted things out, then turned his head to look up to Bruse. Can you make their lights go out? They won't like it. They don't see well in the dark. Not like we do.
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Post by Salandis on May 5, 2017 16:43:23 GMT -6
[Raine puts minor deception in place to cover the missing guards, then weighs in against splitting up. Suggests a couple of alternatives to Vik, but lets her decide.]
As soon as the guard was out, Raine let go – he didn’t want to kill the man. Yet. Pausing only to note through the window that Ari was coming, he took on Vik’s instruction to tie up the guard. While she was doing a very professional inspection of the sidearm, Raine sought out the extra cables that accumulate in any office. A quick few seconds, and the guard was hog tied and under his desk – Raine thoughtfully set the chair to make it hard to see him, and then opened a blank notebook file on the computer. Leaving it in an easy-to-see point on the screen, he typed: “I thought I saw something on the road, but it’s probably just a prank – again. I swear someone’s going to get fired this time.”
Finally, he carefully grabbed and broke out the remaining glass he had crashed through, brushing the shattered fragments out of sight where possible. An empty window almost looks like an intact window at night, and any jagged fragments would be a dead giveaway for anyone walking past. Then he could finally contribute, observing the same layout as Viktoria.
“If yah plan on turning in, we all should” Raine pointed out to Sarkany. “If they get one captive, security will get raised – and we’ll be caught anyway. We’ve already broken in, Ah think we should hide as long as we can but be prepared to fight when we’re caught. Go loud,“ He grinned. “Ah like that phrase. If nothing else, Ah don’t think we can get Marchelute out quietly if he is in pain.”
He found himself looking at the conspicuously empty area of the group. “Bruse is here?” He had never seen the spirit. Didn’t he have some kind of artefact back home for that? He suddenly wished he had brought it along. “With him on cameras, we have a better chance. We would only need to worry about the patrol, and yon sentry.” He thought for a moment, and then turned to Vik. It was clear she had more military experience than anyone else here, so he was happy to follow her lead.
“What d’yeh thing? Leave the patrol alone and bluff the guard to get close? Or take them both at a run and hope they dinnae raise the alarm?”
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Post by Pearl Dragon on May 6, 2017 18:19:56 GMT -6
[[OOC - Bruse is waiting on the others, mostly, to come to an agreement. Will decide upon action once the others start moving out.]]
The camera began to whine in protest, the motors in its base letting out a small high-pitched squeal as the pivoting joint came to a halt mid-sweep. There was a soft fizzing noise too, as if electricity were surging ever so slightly within the wires, hopefully causing some kind of disruption in the thing's signal. Bruse held it there as long as he could, fueled by his success in halting the camera's motion, at least until the commotion below came to a halt.
Looking down, Bruse released the camera, which slowly began it's normal, continued arc, as if nothing had happened. The others were safely out of sight, not a moment too soon, and the spirit drifted down to peer inside of the guard shack. His eyes first fell on the young Taconin, how had reverted back to his smaller form, inpsecting the unconscious human on the ground. The sight of Taconin's nightmarish form worried Bruse, especially since it resembled so many of the monstrosities that have fallen prey to Bruse over the years. But, knowing the child's true motives, that he only did so out of natural habit rather than malice, he tried not to dwell on his concern for too long.
"Brrruse, zhat iz you, da?," Bruse turned and saw Viktoria looking out of the doorway, mostly peering through where he was rather than at him, "If you arrre.. ah, herre to be helping, vould be good to.. distrrract guarrds or.. ah, camerras, if iz possible?"
Bruse acknowledged her request with a brief, cold breeze, and waited while her and the others discussed their plans to continue. Sarkany's plan worried Bruse the most, it would be foolish to turn himself over, no care of what might happen to him if he did so. The intentions of these particular humans, unaware as they were at the moment, were unknown and could easily become hostile towards intruders. Afterall, Marchelute, a fire demon known for his strength and ferocity, was in need of rescue. Obviously these humans had dangerous potential, and adding another prisoner to their ranks seemed like a bad idea to Bruse. But, needing to save his energy to help, Bruse was helpless to add an opinion to their plans, and so remained silent until something was agreed upon.
The debate went on, some suggesting entering the building as captives, others wanting to take a stealthier apporoach. As far as Bruse's part went, it seemed most were interested in his help in disabling more cameras and lights, or perhaps venturing inside of the compound. The camera above had been a long-shot, it wasn't often that Bruse's efforts were successful when trying to manipulate human technology. Such a feat often yielded unpredictable results. The guards, at least, he knew he could distract, even if just a little. Still, he would wait until the others came to a definitive decision, before following through with any action.
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Post by tsukikoko on May 11, 2017 13:57:12 GMT -6
[OOC: Viktoria details the plan of splitting the group into an infiltrator team (Sarkany, Ari and Taconin) and a support/backup team (herself, Raine and Bruse). If the rest agree, or at least go along with it, she'll move towards the guards with Raine, get as close as possible under the cover of the darkness and then wait for Bruse to take out the lights.]
From how the conversation around her was going and with the way Raine addressed her, Viktoria had the impression she was being given a fair bit of sway with the plan - military experience had it's perks, she supposed. For a while, the large feline humanoid said nothing, she instead turned her head from the group and surveyed the compound, silently mulling over their options, assessing. Her training had taught her that sometimes there was no 'best plan' nothing sure-fire when approaching a mission such as this, instead it was a process of damage control, weighing up the chances of a plan succeeding or failing, and having an awareness of the potentially deadly repercussions failure could bring. If anything, Viktoria wished she had a better understanding of exactly what abilities her comrades possessed, what their weaknesses were, but with no time to find out, she had to work with what she did know, what she had seen so far.
As the humanoid levelled her gaze on the group, she cleared her throat, looking first to Sarkany. "Sarrrkany, I am aunderrrstanding vhat you arre to suggest, but I must be pointing out.. ve hyave no clue vhat orrrderrs zis.. ah, grroup hyas. Could be shoot on sight. Orr, like hyas been said, if you arre caught and alarrm rraised, iz making ourrr job morre difficult. Nyet, cannot be losing yourr... life, orr.. abilities." As ever, Viktoria was matter-of-fact, there was very little tone or inflection to her voice. Internally, however, she was aware of how her friend would no doubt be disappointed that she did not agree with his idea, but she could not take the risk to his life when so much of his plan was left to chances and maybes. Plus, on a purely tactical standpoint, losing his magical, stealth and fighting abilities for potentially little gain would be foolish. "Instead, am zinking you, Taconin and cya... ah, Arrri," she pointed at each person as she named them, "vill be... infiltrrator grroup. Get in, do not be seen forrr as long as possible, use stealth skills, distrrract, take out lights... am surrre you arre knowing of own abilities. Follow Arrri's... uh.. am not surre vhat exactly iz, but... his guidance, da?"
Now her attention turned to Raine, as she placed a hand over her own chest, "Mysyelf and.. Rrrraine, vill be vith Brrruse; he vill be killing of lights, possibly camerras. Ve vill, ah.. be moving thrrrough afterr rrest of you, take out guarrds, crreate distrractions if hyave to, hopefully keep scent off infiltrrratorrs.. and be making job of leaving easierr. If ve arre able, might be able to stop base lockdown, orr be lifting it, kill powerr, turn off camerrras... you arre getting idea. Ve arre supporrrt and backup team."
"If you arre caught, cannot be hiding, getting avay, orrr.. fighting vay thrrough, Taconin iz to get to us, tell of zis." The humanoid slid her gaze in the demonling's direction, addressing him directly, "Since iz appearrring you arre... making use of, ah, shadows, I am hyaving thought you arre best to slip avay.. if arre hyaving to. Also if arre finding Marrr..chel..ute, ve can do best to make distrrraction forr you in zis case." She indicated herself and Raine now, "Brrruse vill do same, if ve arre caught, orr find demon." Another pause, then a small chuckle, "But, if I am knowing demon, vill know vhen he iz out."
Again, the feline looked towards the hangar and the patrolling guards. She indicated the floodlights, thinking the relatively dim lamplight could be ignored so long as "Brrruse, could ve be vith zhat light starrting? Vhen iz out, ve must move quickly, Rrraine and I deal vith guarrrds, rrrememberr, infilitrrratorr grroup... prrrimarry objective iz to be getting inside unseen. Zis iz clearr?" She half-crouched now, looking to the rest of the group to see whether they agreed with her and would follow - for lack of another term - her orders. If they did, she would enact her plan as described, first sneaking towards the two guards with Raine as close as they could get in the darkness, then waiting for Bruse to take out the lights.
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Post by Salandis on May 13, 2017 3:22:21 GMT -6
[OOC: Raine approves of Vik’s plan. If general approval is met, he will move towards the guards with Viktoria, on the logic that two-vs-one should make for a quieter subdual.]
Raine nodded decisively. “Ah like it. It’s a solid plan.” He looked in the direction he thought Bruse was at. “Ah dunnae know how much effect yeh can have, Bruse. Whatever yeh can, but Ah think we should be careful regardless. Iff’n we dunnae ‘go loud’” He enunciated that new term carefully “Then hopefully they may think tis a malfunction of some kind first.”
He turned to Ari and Taconin. "You two, take care of yerselves. Taconin, if'n you have'ta leave, dunnae forget that ring. Put it in yer mouth lad, and you won't be seen no matter if there be shadow or not." Getting Marchelute out was one thing: Letting Ari or Taco get hurt in the process was an entirely different kettle of fish.
He studied the guards and hanger carefully a moment. “Ah wonder just how big this little assembly is. We might be in fer some fun.” He grinned. That grin was a bit… feral at the edges. Someone was hurting Marchelute down there, and he intended to leave an impact. Once Marchelute was safe, of course.
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Post by kilnarak on May 15, 2017 4:13:51 GMT -6
[ Ari re-ups his spells to be stealthy and Taco also does some stealth-based shifting. Both will attempt to sneak inside with Sarkany as soon as the distraction team kick things off. ]
Ari fidgeted as the others discussed the plans, nodding as Viktoria worked out something that sounded... decidedly better than Sarkany's idea of letting himself be caught. But he couldn't keep himself from looking longingly toward the mountain, if only he could peer through the stone itself... Or had claws designed to dig.
He startled when Viktoria said his name, realizing he had unconsciously taken a few steps in that direction. He stopped himself and drew a deep breath, trying to focus his attention on her, to ignore the pull of the Pact. "I can... I can do that. With Sarky and-and the kid." He glanced toward each in turn, fair trembling with desire to be moving.
"So... So you all will... will clear the way? And then we sneak in?" He shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying not to sound too impatient. Oh, he was nervous too, terrified of being caught, but... Well, the faster this was done - the faster they went in, freed Marche, and got out - the faster he could relax again. Preferably somewhere safe. And warm. Like in his mate's arms.
Ari drew a deep breath and released it slow, then focused on refreshing his spells. Wind to make his step softer, to muffle the space about him; shadow to blur his form and make the gaze slip off it like oil on water. He was as ready as he was going to be.
For his part, Taconin's attention shifted from Bruse to the feline-humanoid, his dark eyes fixed upon her as she explained the plan. The demonling's draconic muzzle lowered in a nod. I understand. If they are caught I will come to you. And when we find Father, I will also come, so we all can distract them.
His dark gaze shifted to Raine when the man spoke to him, and again he nodded - and then in a brief show of affection stepped forward and butted his head into Raine's hip, rubbing against his legs like a friendly cat. I won't forget it! I need to bring it back to you. We will rescue Father and then everything will be fine. He sounded fairly sure of this as he stepped back from the man, moving instead to coil about Ari's legs a moment.
The demonling's form shifted again, not much, darkening all over and becoming a bit smaller although holding the same general shape. Smaller was more like to escape notice than something large. He waited with a bit more patience than the feline shifter, for the signal to begin their infiltration.
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Post by Pearl Dragon on May 17, 2017 8:06:27 GMT -6
[[OOC- Bruse makes an attempt at taking out the flood lights. The first, he tries manipulating it similar to how he handled the camera, and the other he takes a shot at with the tendril to attempt taking that one out at the same time as well.]]
Bruse listened a while longer as the others continued to discuss a plan of action. He was relieved to hear that the others shared in his concern and unvoiced disapproval of Sarkany turning himself in. Most of the plan seemed to consist of two groups, infiltration and distraction, to which he was assigned the distraction team.
However, all this talk and planning, Bruse could feel a certain tension in the air, an urgency to hurry. Time was wasting and Marchelute was in danger. Bruse wasn't sure if it was his own hastened feelings or someone elses, but the need to move could not be overlooked any longer.
Thankfully, however, the plan was settled, and they began to move out. Bruse watched as Viktoria and Raine made their way towards the guards, before drifting up and over their heads to glide a few feet into the open area. His attention was on the flood lights first. They were the brightest, and compared to the light post, the most likely to reveal the progress of the two groups. Bruse soared towards the floodlights before coming to an abrupt stop in front of the first one closest to where the distraction group would be working. Reaching out, Bruse connected his paw with the light and began to focus a pulse energy. His aim was to cause an electric surge, perhaps even pop the bulb. The energy swam from the light, into his paw, and back to the light again, speeding up to an almost strobing exchange of energy. Looking over at the other light as he did so, Bruse had a sudden idea and began a small split in the front of his form, his maw stretching open across his face. There was a flash of the tendril coiled inside, before it whipped forward at the other light, in an attempt to take that one out at the same time as the other.
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Post by MP on May 20, 2017 10:56:06 GMT -6
[OOC: Sarkany reluctantly accepts the plan but insists on magic-paper communication. Gives Vik the signal paper and prepares his disguise while he waits for Bruse.]
Stealth skills, huh? Sarkany put his head to one side, mouth slanting skeptically as he considered this new arrangement. Risky. He'd never bothered to explain his abilities in depth to his new companions, and he was beginning to regret it now. He had the distinct sense they viewed it all as some kind of magic, reliable and absolute. Still - this was no time to give a lecture of temporal physics, so he refrained from mentioning the art of partial truths and expectation. Someone needed to keep an eye on the mortal part of Marchelute's family, he supposed.
"Zis is clearr?" Viktoria said to them all.
He offered the feline a lazy salute and a "yes sir," the faintly sardonic edge to the word his only complaint. And then he added, more seriously as he addressed the distraction team, "Still, if something goes wrong, we may need quicker communication than a runner. Take this with you, hmm?"
He offered Viktoria a plain scrap of paper, a command already hovering over its surface.
"I've got its twin, see." He held up his piece, indicating the matching torn edges. "What's done to one half reflects on the other. If it folds, we've found Marchelute. If it crumples, we need backup. Sound good?"
He was shrugging on the stolen jacket as he spoke. As Sarkany tucked his own scrap into the coat pocket, waiting for Bruse to complete his work, the seraph looked back at the feline. Nodded at the paper she held.
"Try not to get it blood on it, alright? Let's keep things neat."
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Post by Marshmallow on May 21, 2017 23:43:47 GMT -6
This Round...
After some deliberation, it was finally decided that the gang would be splitting into two groups to take on the mystery facility: A stealth team, consisting of Sarkany, Ari and Taconin - and a support team, consisting of Bruse, Raine and Viktoria. With their plan of action decided, they advanced.
The stealth team was waiting in the wings, each doing their level best to keep to the shadows and out of sight. Waiting for the moment to move in, or to strike.
Viktoria and Raine edged forward, preparing to move on the guards once they had their opening. So focused on moving forward, on the task that lay ahead, that they neglected the stationary cameras under the lone lamp post. Though they had the advantage of the darkness, their movement did not go completely unnoticed...
Bruse was up first, having been tasked with giving his companions cover by taking out the floodlights over the hangar. The spirit's efforts were well-rewarded. The first bulb didn't stand a chance. The feedback loop flowing to and from Bruse's paw caused the light to flicker, swelling brighter on each pulse until, with a pop and a crackle of sparks, the bulb burst in its socket.
The far light did not fare much better. Its glow flickered rapidly, brightened and then went dark with a much quieter pop. The bulb did not burst and shatter as its sibling had, but the overload had burned out the filament inside. As a bonus, Bruse's technique had also shut down the two previously unseen cameras hidden above the glare of the floodlights.
The lights were out, and the area around the hangar doors was plunged into darkness.
On the ground, the guard stationed near the doors let out a cry of surprise and back-stepped just in time to avoid a shower of glass shards. Instantly her rifle was brought to bear, a small flashlight attachment clicking to life.
The patrolling guard stopped and reversed his track to return to the doors, calling out to his partner. "You alright Jackson?"
"Something blew the lights," the woman responded, alert and peering into the darkness. "Should we check in? Could be serious--"
"It's just a couple blown bulbs, Jackson. You scared of the dark?" the male guard chided, unconcerned. "Probably that hare-brained doctor running one of his weirdo experiments again. He's gonna burn out the entire power grid at this rate." He sighed as he surveyed the wreckage of the floodlight, oblivious to the ghostly watcher that had been truly responsible. "Call maintenance, someone should still--"
The guard's attention was immediately drawn to the device clipped to his left ear, cutting him off mid-sentence. Abruptly he grabbed for the small cordless radio at his hip, none to happy as he reported back to the voice in the headset. "This is Barnes. ... What do you mean you 'think' you saw something?"
Now...
The lights are out, and the guards are distracted. But it seems someone may be on to the group. If ever there was a time to move, this would be it. Perhaps, however, they best proceed with caution...
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Post by Pearl Dragon on May 22, 2017 12:01:04 GMT -6
[[OOC - Bruse at first tries to feed into the nervous emotions of the female guard, but is then enlightened on the fact that a doctor of sorts is known to reside within the compound. He is struck with an increasing worry for Marchelute and decides not to wait any longer. He leaves the guards to the others and passes through the doors and into the compound.]]
As the bulb of the light directly ahead popped and shattered, Bruse didn't even flinch at the glass that flew outward and through his form. The sound of a surprised cry sounded below as the area was plunged into darkness. Once the deed was done and the lights were out, along with two stealthily placed cameras above the lights which Bruse's strobe of energy also managed to short circuit, the spirit now drifted down to the ground and peered at the two panicking guards. One, a female, held her rifle aimed in Bruse's direction, both her gaze and the flashlight beam passing blindly through the ethereal creature before her.
"You alright, Jackson?" Came the voice of the other guard somewhere behind the woman.
"Something blew the lights." She said, alert and attentive. "Should we check in? Could be serious-"
"It's just a couple blown bulbs, Jackson. You scared of the dark?"... Yes...scared...a breeze of anxious energy washed over the woman standing before Bruse. His eyes, though unseen, were locked on her, staring into her and channeling that anxiety in her direction. "Probably that hare-brained doctor running one of his weirdo experiments again. He's gonna burn out the entire power grid at this rate."
Bruse halted his emotional assault. Doctor? Experiments? It couldn't be that Marchelute might be one of those experiments? Bruse's worry for Marchelute's safety increased, and his attention now turned to the hanger doors. The guards seemed distracted enough. Vik and the redheaded man Raine could take care of them. Bruse couldn't stand to wait around.
Turning in the hanger's direction, Bruse began to walk towards the doors. As he approached, his form then vanished to the other side, phasing seemlessly through the physical barriers. The only notion of his leaving (to Vik for example) would be the sudden absence of the feeling of his presence (or in Taconin's case, seeing him enter the compound).
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Post by tsukikoko on May 25, 2017 8:27:18 GMT -6
[Notices Bruse leave but can't really deal with that right now. Silently gestures for Raine to go for the male guard - realises perhaps he can't see what she was motioning and very quietly speaks instead - while she goes for the female one. Takes her boots off so as to be quieter (& now she can use her foot spur too yay!). Viktoria will move forward quickly, avoiding the flashlight on the woman's gun for as long as possible, then charge forward and wrestle it from her grip so she can smack the woman in the face with the butt of her own gun. If nothing else, hopefully they can distract the guards so the stealth team can get in.]
Bruse had worked wonders taking out the lights so efficiently and as the far light died with a whimper, the vicinity was plunged into darkness. As the guards called to one another, Viktoria's ears flickered, listening to their words. "It's just a couple blown bulbs, Jackson. You scared of the dark?" Yes, human eyes were feeble without the light, unlike Viktoria's own, which could still see the world in vivid (albeit grey-scale) detail. The humanoid glanced over at Raine, wondering if the darkness would hinder him as well; she still didn't really know anything about his abilities, but no matter, they had a job to do. While she had a moment, Viktoria took the chance to remove her boots, which would both allow her steps to be quieter and give her another weapon to use - the hard bone spurs jutting from the backs of her ankles.
Viktoria felt, rather than saw Bruse leave and she had to bite back a Russian curse at his rapid departure. They had lost their invisible ally's edge, but she wasn't really in a position to do anything about it. She figured it had likely been something related to the mention of a 'doctor' and 'weirdo experiments'. The war machine was not unaware of such things, she had encountered her fair share of torturous experimentation, especially in her first few years of life. A hard knot of anger, black as the darkness surrounding them, formed in her chest. If these people had harmed Marchelute, experimented on him for their own twisted gain, there would be no room for mercy.
The humanoid tapped Raine lightly on the arm to draw his attention, then made a series of rapid chopping motions with one hand in the direction of the male guard. A second passed, then she seemed to remember her companion was perhaps not as well suited to seeing in the dark as herself. She spoke, low, barely even a sound, right beside his ear. "Male guarrrd. Go." Next moment, she was moving, using the new darkness to cover her advance as best as possible. The feline kept Raine in her peripherals, checking the speed of his advance so that she didn't alert the guards too soon. As she got closer, Viktoria tried her best to avoid the beam of the flashlight attachment, but if it did happen to light her up she charged forward as quickly as possible. She barrelled forward, straight at the woman, Jackson, and her firearm, one large clawed hand closing over the barrel of the rifle while her other hand shoved Jackson backwards. If it hadn't already, the flashlight would certainly light up the humanoid's face now, revealing a mass of dripping shark-like fangs within the maw of a huge, snarling feline creature. Viktoria's aim was to wrestle the rifle from the woman's grip, hopefully made a little easier by frightening her, she then planned to shunt the butt of the firearm back into the woman's face. If the guard (and Viktoria) were lucky, the attack would knock her straight out, but if not she'd at least have a bloodied nose and a few loose teeth to show for it.
Not to mention a very angry battle tank of a cat-shark to fend off.
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Post by MP on May 25, 2017 13:43:59 GMT -6
[[OOC: Sarky approaches the door, mimicking the walk and talk of one of the gate guards. He mentions to the guards that the camera activity was just him walking past. He times his distraction so that Raine and Viktoria can make a safer approach.]]
Dressed in his stolen uniform, Sarkany had intended to make his approach before the lights went out. Let the illusion do its work before the guards became suspicious. But of course, there was the minor problem that he was completely blind to Bruse's movements - blind to whether the spirit was even there at all. So when the lights spluttered out, he could do nothing but curse and adapt his plan.
He moved forward at a casually brisk pace, adopting his most convincing impression of the languid "I absolutely belong here" walk of the currently unconscious gate guard. Through eyes made nearly black by the size of his pupils, he saw Viktoria signaling to Raine in the dark, and increased his pace.
"What do you mean you "think" you saw something?" He heard the near guard say.
"Shit. Probably me." he said, raising a hand in a familiar wave as he drew level with them.
Secure in his role now that the cameras couldn't contradict illusion, he offered no further explanation, and continued past toward the smaller door at the same soldier's stroll. Although he'd done his best imitation of the gate guard's voice and diction, Sarkany had heard very little of the man to begin with - not much more than a scream for backup, really. He could not risk more than a few words. And besides - he wanted their attention. Let them turn after him and question. From the edges of the dark, Viktoria was moving forward, and he only needed the guards to watch him for just a moment more...
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