[X]: Go for a highly aggressive approach, draw as much attention to yourself as possible to minimise risk of collateral damage. More likely to take hits and be pressed into melee, but will also give Bumblebee and Strongarm the most freedom of action. Given that you are small however, you will need to take more aggressive action to read as a higher priority threat than the autobots than you would with the humans. You will also need to trust the autobots to deal with stragglers.
[X]: Panzerhunde first: Deals with the enemies most likely to start widespread fires and most able to slip by unnoticed into more populated areas as well as the principal melee threat.
[X]: Assault's Plan
Since our goals are to get the info and minimize collateral damage this seems like the plan that maximises those out comes.
Sorry for the delay, from now on I'm going to shorten the voting duration to avoid getting distracted. Also trying to experiment with the dice lead me to conclude that I was overcomplicating the stats and will be returning to a wholly qualitative stat system that I can abstract a lot more with less dice. I'll adjust the already written character profiles to account for this later. Next posts will be shorter I swear to make the combat flow better.
[X]: Highly aggressive approach
[X]: Panzerhunde
[X]: Assault's plan
Arne
Time to get dangerous then, you reasoned as you sidestepped the missile fire of some of the Nazi drones, grabbing one of the warheads as it passed you by, giving yourself a spin and throwing it back at the sender's exposed warhead racks to explode the machine all at once. Nothing too fancy and hardly the most impressive use of your reflexes, but it certainly seemed to put the Soldaten at unease.
"The short one moves fast!" You of course understood what they were saying just fine, and they didn't know the half of it. ETC launched rounds screamed towards you at speeds far in excess of what normal bullets could manage, augmented by flickers of unknown and dark energy after the Soldaten slammed home new magazines with purple marks. Whatever those energies were, it didn't really matter when their bullets all seemed to move in slow motion to your eyes.
The crack of weapons fire told you they had other marksmen trained on you with disciplined volleys; the tearing sound of machine guns loud as ever in an attempt to pin you down. Their snipers were well trained, but simply not good enough at what they did to land a bead on you, with every round going wildly off the mark without you once having to trust your shielding against the impacts. Almost like showing off really, your precognition told you not to fear the blows, but demoralising them was always good.
You shot back while dashing around their clumsy retaliation fire; stretching out your arm and taking aim. A lesser combatant would have found these shots difficult to make while darting around faster than a bullet, but you were trained for this from an incredibly early age. Letting yourself get into the battle zone, you marked your enemies in your sight and got ready to fire.
Your cannon shifted into beam mode and spat out a refracting beam of white that split into a burst of different colours on impact. And then another and another and another at rates to surpass their machine guns; your cannon's barrel disappearing behind the stream of white energy as you walked it into positions of cover; angling the bounce so that the rainbow light would deflect into anyone in cover or between targets.
The scalding light of the prism beam combined with your power beam's kinetic force vaporized men and armour alike with contemptuous ease, mediporter flashes working frantically to try and pull the Soldaten out of harm's way before they could finish crumbling into ash as the light just about breakdanced amidst their ranks.
Even the refracted pulses were overkill against human targets such as this; reducing everything men to clouds of dust and scattered electrons and ionising weapons and armour plating into an electron haze. The soldiers certainly seemed to realise that you were a greater priority and redirected more of their effort towards you, trying to corral you towards their street thug auxiliaries who brandish pistols, shotguns, carbines and other basic weapons that you don't even bother to avoid.
You sweep your beam fire over them for a few shots and turn away, letting the dust billow away from you without a second thought, your mind shutting itself off to the severing of the connection between their souls and disintegrated bodies. Ninety gone in an eyeblink, they probably didn't even know what they were being asked to fight before you simply killed them; but they could have threatened combatants who couldn't have just ignored them; which you couldn't have allowed.
Fifteen try to get close to you as you vaporise a machine gun position with a single shot of your prism beam, you flick your eyes towards one of them, shouting curses and damnations at you; rapid firing a large number of slurs at you before you simply lurched your hand forward and ripped his heart out with the ease of pulling tissues out of a box. His flesh and bones yielding as if they weren't there and his organ imploding with a brief squeeze of your finger.
The next got his entire body reduced to a smear by an elbow from you, the other broke a pipe over you without getting you to so much as flinch before you extended your blade and stepped back, letting them all rush towards you in a semi-circle and try to jump at you at once. With a single motion you decapitated them all, not letting the Soldaten feel any less pressure as you kept on bombarding them with the prism beam without quite looking at them.
The remaining street toughs looked at the thirteen headless bodies you had produced and got understandably cold feet; running away when you cast a glance towards them before continuing on. One of the platoons was gone to the last man, another was wavering, one though; seemed to cheer at the prospect of such a bold fight and urged themselves further into the fray, determined to fight to the bitter end with a grim sort of courage that would have been mildly respectable had it not come from people who thought the Holocaust was a great idea.
The Panzerhunde are upon you soon enough, seven of them breaking off to try and take the heat off of the Soldaten while the drones overhead sought to pound at your position with an endless rain of missiles; your beam fire shredding through them with each shot and your body twisting and alternating between forms to dodge out of the way of the homing rockets thrown your way in ever greater numbers. Weapons fire continued to bark in your direction in greater numbers, but none of it was able to quite land a shot on you.
They ran alongside the walls, jumped onto platforms and tried to engulf you flames that were melting the concrete they brushed against in dramatically rapid fashion. Sidestepping out of the way and firing off your grapple beam, you dragged one of the Panzerhunde as it sought to leap towards you into the path of the incoming rounds of the emboldened platoon and the Stahlwalkures trying to get you pinned down.
Based on the scratch marks the rounds left in the Panzerhund's armour, you surmised that you could safely take impacts from the dark energy augmented rounds without worrying too much and rushed into the Panzerhunde before gravity could reunite it with the ground. Checking it with your shoulder, you launched it into the next Panzerhund before it could recover its bearings, outpacing the rate that its neural processors could register your movements. The two exploded into scrap metal from the velocity of the impact, the thunderclap of shattering machinery muffled in your ears by your helmet before another machine leapt at you, your hand swinging to grab jaws trying to clamp down with the force of a mountain's face collapsing downwards.
You felt a brief surge of resistance, the jaws trying to push with force meant to overcome most metahumans that the Panzerhund was likely to encounter, but this was a contest you'd win with ease even in civilian clothing. With your current armour; you pulled back and the machine's head tore off in a spray of metal and sparks before you tossed the shorn piece into the next Panzerhunde as it opened its mouth to spit out its fire; giving the top half of the head a spin like a discus to smash into and through large sections of the Panzerhund. Damaged but not quite disabled, which reminded you of the other one.
Knowing that the other one could function with only half its head, you let your beam spark out; prismatic energy bounding around the machine's body and rendering it so much molten ejecta. Easy enough, though you felt your senses warning you of something coming from behind, turning on your feet with a step and lashing out with your left hand balled into a fist. The thunderclap of the impact caved in the damaged Panzerhund and reduced it to shrapnel, raining onto another that you clocked with a pair of missiles to tear to pieces with a loud click and bang. So far, so good.
Missile Count: 153/155
Your shock coil erupted to life, spewing energy into the next Panzerhunde to approach while your armblade shivered out of your gauntlet and swung in a wide arc to bisect the last one in a single sweep. Steaming halves of the machine flying in separate directions while your blade glowed with the energy sent running through the ferrochitin structure, suit withdrawing it back into the gauntlet as soon as you no longer needed it to prevent it from interfering with your movements. The sizzling halves of the panzerhunde jerked slightly, but came to a halt soon enough, letting you move on to other targets.
And you'd need to move soon; as the final Panzerhunde of the group was already and roaring before it disintegrated as neutrino flow tore apart its atomic structure in a burst of electrons and protons freed from its atoms with carefully aimed impacts. A process charged by your universal ammo feed and arm cannon with a power output to make the thunderbolts of Zeus seem like playground static sparks next to a weaponised tesla coil in comparison.
Atomic soup crumbled around the shock coil's path and energy flowed back into your shielding. The process of disintegration was quite painful in the brief time it took to disintegrate a foe; at least, so you were told; which is why neutrino-disintegrator weapons like the Shock Coil were banned in many countries, but to you, a weapon was a weapon. Battle is not a pleasant or pain free process, and at the end of the day, all methods of dealing out death sever a thread of life.
Universal Ammo Count: 239/240
Something you reminded the remaining enemies of with a burst of no less than seven missiles from your cannon to shred through the remaining Walkures and soldaten that had decided to stick around and fight to the bitter finish. Missile plumes raced over the heads of the soldaten and then erupted in contained detonations that simply reduced the soldiers to so much mush and ash; while Stahlwalkures that tried to evade them were simply obliterated in a storm of steel. Then the bouncing beams of death pinged between their formations; shattering their lines and ripping open ragged holes in their defences against you.
Missile Count: 146/155
Your allies weren't unbusy either, as you turned to see Bumblebee grabbing two of the panzerhunde, one in each hand and then smashing them into each other with a loud thundercrack and an explosion of metal before he spun around on foot to smash a Wachroboter into the ground with his hammer; unfurling it out of storage and rupturing the Teutonic Tin Can like foil. Weapons fire skipping off of his shielding, he skipped an EMP grenade downrange to neutralise much of the remaining Wachroboter force, letting them fall to the ground.
Two of the large machines sought to strike him from behind, and already being in a position to h elp him you charged up and released a missile to strike between them; the shiver of the missile's release going through your arm while you grabbed at the trusted bayonet of a Soldaten with your free hand and casually flicked the rifle and the soldier attached to it up into the sky, the increasingly distant screaming of the Soldaten fading from your attention.
Bumblebee's cannon charged up with a loud whine before the ping of the charged solar energy resounded in your ears, coring three of the Wachroboters in a spray of plasmafied ejecta that annihilated a nearby Panzerhunde with the wash of heat and vaporising some of the Steel Valkyries. His shoulder pods extended out of their containers and a burst of warheads streamed out, redirecting themselves to strike at the decloaking gunships that emerged to the sides with shadow energy cannons snarling to life.
Produced by the Focke-Wulf GmbH for the requirements of the Waffen-SS on Reich Earth, the Kolibri is extremely agile and capable of stealthed operations, crucial for deploying small commando teams or sudden surprise attacks. Extremely manoeuvrable with the amazing ability to make upwards of 45 full rotations per second should the Pilot have a death wish or not be particularly attached to their lunch; the Kolibri is able to move like a hummingbird and can thus make extremely sudden manoeuvres limited primarily by the pilot and copilot's ability to endure them.
The extremely modular design also allows for the Kolibri to have its armament switched out to a wide array of possible configurations and to be upgraded as the situation demands, a crucial factor in allowing it to keep pace with more potent metahuman opponents and the evolution of technology. Its typical armament will include a nose-mounted rapid-fire weapon, homing missiles, and precision rocket pods; and many will carry small teams of soldiers to important locations. However, the Kolibri is not a particularly durable craft, and the loss of a single tail rotor will typically send the craft into a death spin that few pilots are skilled enough to recover from before crashing.
Quick Stats (Rated by Low end Gunship Standards):
Durability: Fragile
Strength: Weak
Firepower: Acceptable
Speed: Acceptable (Flight capable, Great Manoeuvrability)
Combat Skill: Decent (Negligible melee capability)
Type of Combatant: High Speed Aerial Ranged Attacker
Samus' Notes: That rotor configuration seems like it's asking for trouble with how close the blades are to touching each other. Just jamming them a bit should cause problems, but I think I should freeze them before impact to make their descent more predictable.
Arne's Notes: The grapple beam should be good enough to yank off their rotors and send them crashing; or just pull them into the ground. The only concern would be the possibility of collateral damage.
With a deft roll, he evaded the stabbing lances of corroding negative energy and brought himself into position to catch one of the falling gunships before it could fall out of the bounds of the walls and onto some children who had yet to take a hint and leave the area. Shooing them out of the way, Bumblebee interposed himself into the path of some anti-tank missiles, shrugging them off as they impacted his shielding and then throwing the helicopter wreck into another of the chopper pack of six that remained from his initial attack.
Though the pilot to his credit managed to dodge out of the way of Bumblebee's throw, you were already on the case; jumping off of a Panzerhund as it sought to bite you, backflipping and firing off your grapple beam to yank the Kolibri into its wrecked counterpart to collide in a fiery detonation.
Bumblebee smashed his fist into one of the Wachroboter that sought to teleport into closer range of him, the Autobot scout's hand crumpling the Teutonic war machine like foil and sending it crumpling to the ground a good distance away. You danced below his feet, cannon sparking with star beam fire to suppress the Soldaten who were trying to move to regain their flanking positions around you, soldiers flying back or flinching behind cover to escape your wrath right before your eye caught sight of a series of blurs just as Bumblebee grabbed a Wachroboter thrown his way by Strongarm and smashed it into the ground hard enough to shatter most of it.
The infernal metal howl of the german machines told you that the hunt was on, and the scampering of metal claws on the ground let you narrow down their avenue of attack. The remaining Panzerhunde packs had clearly identified you as a threat, and were already converging rapidly towards your position with surprisingly agile motions, running along the sides of walls to get better angles of attack. Jets of fire leapt out towards you, the ground boiling away. Your arm cannon clicked and released an ice missile, a shiver going through the appendage as the rocket detonated amidst the cloud of superheated debris to annihilate the heat and produce a thick layer of frost.
Missile Count: 145/155
A punch to the ground from Strongarm was enough to while the Valkyries swarmed around; trying to overwhelm the wall of fire represented by Strongarm's subsonic repeater and neutron assault rifle to funnel you and bumblebee into a more confined space; Kolibri rocket pods lighting up with red flares of released projectiles and crimson energy beams stabbing downrange with a riotous piercing noise towards you.
You barely even noticed the clink of grenades being rolled towards you as you vaulted into the air and took a few of the rockets head on to give you more room to manoeuvre. Not the hardest impacts you've ever had, but definitely a surprise to the Kolibri pilot when you smashed through the autocannon resistant cockpit back first and smashed your elbow into his skull hard enough to reduce his upper body to paste before your free hand grabbed the gunner and crushed his throat.
You were sure that the mediporters would find some way to put them back together. Something you had mixed feelings about, on one hand taking life was something you had to exercise caution about. On the other hand, these people had more than forfeited their right for you to really care whether they got a second chance or not.
The frantic manoeuvring of another Kolibri reminded you had other priorities; charging up and then firing off a star beam shot to vaporise most of the helicopter to prevent it from crashing into anything, firing off another ice missile to drop the mass of gaseous metal on top of some of the Panzerhunde. Your star beam shot out again, destroying another Kolibri as it sought to indiscriminately bombard your position with rockets.
The machine erupted in a flash of plasmafying matter that split it into pieces, its crew reduced to dust in the process. Seeing its front half spiralling out of control, you whipped forward with your grapple beam to prevent it from falling down on top of some cars outside the barricade to the awe of the children inside. You smiled briefly, turning towards them despite their distance to you so that you could give a little nod of acknowledgement to before vaulting upwards.
One more target, this Kolibri moving fast and furiously to avoid your movements, but you simply fired off your thrusters again mid air, correcting your course and landing atop one of its missiles launched out towards you. You grimaced a bit at the scourging sensation of its nose cannon pushing you back, but you redirected its second volley into the turret with your blade before jumping beneath. Spinning around with an arm extended and slicing off the remaining Kolibri's tail section before twisting it rotor first back into the ground.
Missile Count 144/155
Energy Count 07(95)
One Panzerhunde managed to get around to your side as you tried to dodge out of the way of a volley of dark energy missiles, flipping out of the vortexes they generated and then grunting as the Panzerhunde snapped its jaw onto your arm. Your shielding count ticked downwards a bit as the Panzerhund sought to worry you with shakes of its head in either direction. But despite the Panzerhund applying the sort of pressure that would be best expressed in "kaiju per square nanometre" you were able to push your arm free by wedging it downwards until the Panzerhund's jaw broke, getting your legs into a position to kangaroo kick the next Panzerhund to leap at you hard enough to shatter it into pieces.
You weren't about to let some half-rate mechanocanine be the one to reunite you with your parents. Preferably nobody would ever get that honour.
Energy Count 07(89)
The wounded panzerhund's ignition chamber sparked to life while Bumblebee's cannon fire sent two more Wachroboter falling to the ground and Strongarm flung a car through a mass of Soldaten like a frisbee; men and machinery flying in all directions while you turned your prism beam onto the Walkures. You sidestepped, moving out of the way of the tongue of flame, then found more and more of the heat being thrown your way. Your armour didn't give you a heat danger warning, but the glare of the fire was making it hard to see, especially for your sensitive red eyes.
You grit your teeth and fired off a charged ice missile, just in time as three more Panzerhunde leaped into the inferno to try and pin you down; engulfing them in the blue-white wave of frost and rewarding you with the satisfying sound of their bodies shattering against the ground. The ruins of Nazi artifice were a pleasure you never thought you'd get to see in person, but it was immensely gratifying to watch all their toys crumble away.
Missile Count: 141/155
Another managed to reach you, clawing at your side while you reduced a Wachroboter to slag and spun out of the way of a missile, a grunt coming from you as you slammed into a wall. You let the highlights of your cannon shift into a blue colouration and let it extend its subweapon chamber before your shock coil erupted outwards and lashed through the machine. Your energy tanks refilled and every machine you exposed to a taste of the shock coil disintegrated to ash shortly afterwards.
Energy Count: 07(99)
Looking around you, all you could see were the scrapped remains of aircraft and machinery. You shook your head a bit and saw Bumblebee dusting the remains of a Helicopter off of his hands before he flashed you a thumbs up, getting a small smile out of you.
This was hardly the end of the affair however, as the Gesellschaft and Reich-Earth were now increasingly aware that they had quite the serious situation on their hands and would need to deploy greater force to contain the bulldozing trio of hyper-advanced aliens rummaging through their defensive line.
Your visor detected heat signatures moving around in the building while additional forces were moving around outside. From what you could see, outside would be the heavier troops, while inside would be an assortment of lighter but more mobile units, likely some of their superhuman help too.
You paused a bit, trusting your ears. There was definitely the rumble of vehicular wheels and treads and the heavy footfall of more robots outside. They were definitely mad, but inside you could hear them shouting frantically about not having expected this sort of extraterrestrial intervention this soon. Two voices told them to not worry, they would take care of it. Bumblebee and Strongarm hardly looked worse for wear, though you hadn't managed to coordinate all that well; not having much in the way of a rapport with each other. They wouldn't be able to support you inside the building, but taking their more esoteric reinforcements out of the equation might not be such a bad idea.
You paused and considered; looking through the window of the building and launching a scan of the two figures. One a figure with the appearance of a black, white, and red mechanical skeleton with a multitude of reinforcing augmentations to enhance his durability and prowess, the other a woman fitted with some sort of heavily segmented plating and a series of tubes that fed into body to pump what was clearly a chemical into her.
Born as Reinhardt Vogl, Stahlschadel was bonded to his extradimensional symbiont at an early age following an accident in Norway that left him and his parents trapped in a cave in with a thirty-two strong hiking expedition. The symbiont gave him the ability to devise things that could help him or others survive scenarios that he could think of as well as fed into his conviction that the flesh was weak; seeing it fail so many people before he managed to device a blaster that freed the group. From then on, Reinhardt progressively replaced more and more of his body with machinery to become an impenetrable fortress of metal, plastic, and composite. Following Reich Earth and the 5th Column's acquisition of the Gesellschaft, he was given a more advanced technological base to work with and soon upgraded himself to fit newer standards.
In combat, Reinhardt is a swiss army knife with a large variety of survival tools including rapid repair nanites, multi-layered shielding, teleportation devices to move out of the way, energy absorbers, holographic decoys to distract foes, uberalloy and super-composite construction and armour plating, and an extensive array of life support systems including a miniaturised biopod to take care of what few remaining biological components he has left. An extensive arsenal is also built into him, including plasma casters, quantum guns, a fusion torch, electrolasers, grenade launchers, and micro-missile launchers all fitted into various components of his body. He is most vulnerable to attacks in the abdomen where his primary power systems are located, and energy drain should also substantially reduce his ability to fight.
Samus' Notes: I almost pity him, but given the choices he's made, there's nothing we can do but try to stop him.
Arne's Notes: The Shock Coil should be my most effective weapon against him, especially aimed towards his centre of mass.
Quick Stats (By Mini-Boss standards):
Durability: Resilient
Strength: Good
Firepower: Acceptable
Speed: Acceptable (Flight capable, Great Manoeuvrability)
Combat Skill: Good
Type of Combatant: Jack-of-all trades combatant.
Born as Evangeline Schwarzkopf, Nektar was a brute given powers by the Gesellschaft able to engage armoured fighting vehicles and withstand anti-tank weapons fire of only modest note. While difficult to deal with, her ambitions were limited and her grab bag power set of enhanced physicality and being able to store and then release energy imparted into her was easy enough to grasp and counter. This changed following the acquisition of the Gesellschaft as she was given access to a serum that the 5th Column had acquired from other sources on Primal Earth. The serum allows her to massively bulk up in rapid succession, making her a far more difficult opponent to deal with; escalating her strength, durability, and reflexes immensely while also charging her with kinetic energy she can release at will. She was then given a suit to allow her to maintain contact with command and control assets, augment her protection, and synergies with her energy based powers; though to ensure she cannot turn against her creators; should the flow of the serum be stopped for any reason she will crash out and fall unconscious.
In combat, she is difficult to harm, heals extremely quickly, possesses tremendous physical strength and durability, and is able to absorb energy and then release it back in various forms; including shockwaves, blasts, or even bolts of electricity or explosions. However she is a borderline irrational fighter with little skill or finesse, largely attacking to intimidate and is unused to the very idea of being met with anyone who could possibly match her in strength. She responds poorly to insults, being extremely irritable and will focus her efforts on the last person to hit her to the exclusion of most everything else unless actively prevented from retaliating.
Samus' Notes: Hardly seems fair for Arne to get to have all the fun with her, but I'm a bit concerned that this 5th Column seems so set on upgrading the threat the Gesellschaft poses.
Arne's notes: I still have the edge in strength against her, but playing into her game of fisticuffs seems like a poor idea with her energy absorbtion. On the other hand, the Shock Coil should work well against her. I just need to tear out the tubing afterwards.
(Rated by Miniboss standards)
Durability: Great
Strength: Great
Firepower: Mediocre
Speed: Acceptable
Combat Skill: Feral
Type of Combatant: Brute type melee combatant.
"We'll be able to take care of these creeps. You should probably head inside, you're small." Strongarm said over the comms before Bumblebee looked towards her and then back at you and then shook his head.
"-A house divided cannot stand.-" Bumblebee said as the enemy patrol rounded the corner. It seems that the vehicles had yet to arrive just yet, but in addition to a fresh wave of Panzerhunde, Kolibri, Wachroboter, Soldaten, and Stahlwalkures were adeptly moving soldiers in threatening dark grey uniforms whose bodies disappeared with shimmering cloak fields; lithe frames vaulting onto fvantage points to try and encircle the Autobots as they stood ready to engage the newly enlarged enemy force. Thus leaving you with the important choice of whether to assist the autobots, draw the parahumans out for a fight on your terms, or split off and take them on your own.
The 5th Column is well known for its extremely extensive supersoldier programs and its strict hierarchy divided by rank, section, and enhancement grade. The higher the rank, section, and enhancement grade of a 5th column soldier; the more superhuman capabilities they possess. The Nacht section forms the 5th Column's special forces unit and the Elites are those given middle stage supersoldier enhancements. Those of soldat rank may lack the more developed powers of the Unteroffizers and the Obersts, but Nacht Elites still possess the strength to shatter steel plating with their fists, withstand explosive weapons even unassisted by their advanced shielding capable electromesh powered fibril-armour, and dodge automatic weapons fire. Armed with special "Werwolf" weapons that can transform between rotary ETC machine guns firing specially treated hypervelocity armour piercing rounds; smart guns with incendiary, chemical, electric, cryogenic or explosive round options; ultra-high temperature flamethrowers; or grenade or rocket launchers, the Elite are also extremely capable melee combatants for a mass-trained formation, making use of many esoteric martial arts to augment their striking power and movement beyond their strength. Like all Nacht troopers, Nacht Elite Soldaten are capable of multi-spectrum cloaking, silencing their movements, and are well trained in stealth and marksmanship.
Samus' Notes: It seems that the 5th Column is the most elite part of this alliance. These soldiers have decent equipment and enhancements for this time's standards. I'll need to put more focus on the 5th Column then. They must be up to something.
Arne's Notes: A lot of these soldiers seem to be clones or at least vat grown. Possibly a sign of recruitment not turning out as many potentials as they hoped for? They're nearly all brainwashed to a fault though, can't expect many of them to surrender.
(Rated by minion standards)
Durability: Decent
Strength: Decent
Firepower: Decent
Speed: Decent
Combat Skill: Good
Type of Combatant: Special Forces Commando
The Unteroffizers of the 5th Column's Nacht Elite formations are stronger than five of their subordinates put together and have similarly improved reflexes, durability, endurance; and access to higher grade weapons and equipment. Each one is a master of death and has killed dozens of high-value targets on both Primal Earth and Earth Bet and all other dimensions in which the 5th Column operates. Their techniques and equipment are simply a superlative on that of their lower-ranking counterparts, and it is their duty to coordinate much of the ground-level tasks of the Nacht segment of the 5th Column. Each is not only a well trained elite combatant, but also a skilled small unit tactician and an expert in stealth assaults.
(Rated by Lieutenant standards)
Durability: Decent
Strength: Decent
Firepower: Decent
Speed: Decent
Combat Skill: Good
Type of Combatant: Special Forces Commando
The Obersts of the Nacht Elite are a further fivefold improvement on the prior unteroffizers. Elite Obersts are able to deal crushing blows with nothing but their bodies, but also carry high powered weapons perfected for dealing with metahuman adversaries of the 5th Column that have proven to be extremely effective against Earth Bet's parahumans. Though you maintain the absolute advantage in all physical and mental fields, Nacht Elite Obersts are also dangerous for their mastery of special operations warfare and their skillful handling of their soldiery. They will coordinate their fellows with deft precision and are well trained in dealing with significantly more powerful enemies than themselves.
(Rated by Officer standards)
Durability: Decent
Strength: Decent
Firepower: Decent
Speed: Decent
Combat Skill: Good
Type of Combatant: Special Forces Commando
Samus
"We'll wait." You say as the thunderclap of distant explosions and the rumble of fading detonations rings in your ears. People are clearly fleeing the area in a hurry, not wanting to be caught up in the maelstrom of sudden high impact violence, and you make a small prayer to the sacred ascended ancestors pleading for everyone there to be alright.
"Shto?! The entire force is probably going to be busy brawling with your boyfriend!" Molotok said, shaking her head as she quickly slipped on her costume and armour via groundbridge portal. She clearly was going to need some kind of justification for your choice of action.
"If we rush in, they'll draw forces back here where the evacuation hasn't finished and put people in danger." You said, standing up with more confidence as you let your armour manifest around you, letting your shoulders sink a bit as the red, yellow, and orange varia suit surrounded your body.
"I'm not going to put people at risk when I can do something about it." You said, watching closely as the guards began to shift their position; forming a perimeter to watch the movements of Arne and his group.
"She's right." Assault said as a Soldat thrown into the air by Arne finally started to descend back towards the ground with a prolonged scream of "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" as he fell back down from a height best expressed in kilometers.
"...Good throwing arm, he play baseball?" Assault said before the Soldat hit the ground in front of the window with a pronounced and slightly sickening crunching sound.
"...I'm going to have a long talk to that kid about lethal force." Battery said with a sigh while Serp took a second look at the corpse on the ground to confirm that he was dead.
"This is a combat situation though?" You said as a Helicopter exploded in the distance, its missiles being shot down by rapid fire projectiles from Strongarm's weapons suite. The shorn halves of the helicopter being caught by Bumblebee before they could make impact with the ground; prismatic sprays of light bouncing around the embattled area, each carefully aimed to avoid even the slightest chance of an improper bounce.
"These are soldiers who chose to fight to the death. Not criminals. And I know Arne, he'd never shoot anyone who was surrendering." You said as everyone suited up, taking a second glance towards the entrance and noting that the last of the guards in that direction had made themselves scrace.
"The kind of firepower you two use is something I'm not sure I'm comfortable with children having at their disposal." Battery said with a shake of her head.
"Hey, hey, let's put that on hold for a bit. We've got our opening now, don't know how long it's going to last." Assault said.
"Finally, getting tired of watching others have all the fun." Irinna said, cracking her knuckles.
"I'll lead." You said, not waiting for anyone else to contradict you as you rushed to the exit as a blur of motion.
...
You rushed through the opened door where the sounds of heavy combat kept on reverberating through the air, impacts felt as much as they were heard. Some computer terminals were plugged into the facility, and not being able to help yourself you turned your scan visor over to them eagerly, looking for anything that might be of interest. Firewalls and failsafe designed by cunning minds were broken into with ease; with not even the Synthetically Conscious guardian software meant to combat superhuman hackers able to stop you from getting what you wanted once your suit pacified it.
As has been directed by the command of Fuhrer Requiem, we have intensified efforts to understand the Parahuman phenomenon and what sets it apart from our own metahumans. We conclude that this cluster of dimensions has no equivalent to our Well of Furies, nor does it have any inherent sources of magic or many of the cosmic energies we have come to associate with various forms of superpowers. Instead, all powers seem to stem from a single extradimensional source. Our mystics have traced this source to fragments of a large transdimensional entity; fragments which bond to a select host after detecting certain forms of traumatic duress. The host then grows a special organ able to properly channel the energies that the symbiote channels through it, though it rarely seems to provide any working knowledge of how the abilities it offers function. Our Gesellschaft acquisitions have figured out a reliable means of artificially inducing this bonding, even tailoring the circumstances to encourage a select set of powers.
These powers appear to typically have limitations programmed into them to avoid or minimise backlash. Which typically reduces or eliminates their ability to directly affect organic matter. These limitations can often be removed through a second triggering event to redouble the powers granted by the shard; but efforts to triple trigger our subjects have usually resulted in gruesome and painful demises or uncontrollable insanity with no evidence of further power gain. Due to the necessity of trauma in inducing these events; we must unfortunately report that the incidence of these events is lower in those of Aryan racial stock due to the superior civilization developed by our extradimensional kin. Concerningly, as efforts by the Gesellschaft and its associates to combat the Judeo-Bolshevik menace increase; so too does the rate of Jewish or Bolshevik parahumans. Efforts to combat this have been deemed of high importance to the command of the Gesellschaft and the Weltreich.
We also have noted that as the contact between our two multiverses increases; the incidence of parahuman triggering in our own dimensions seems to be rising, while a number of metahumans whose powers operate according to the loose rules we are more familiar with has been growing. We have also demonstrated the possibility of mixing parahuman and metahuman abilities, though we await your permission to test with incarnate empowered volunteers. From this, we can determine that the efforts of our organisation as well as those of our rivals to exploit this bounty of dimensional contact are accelerating the already existing trend of more and more of the population displaying superhuman abilities. A trend that we will be able to exploit to our advantage and ensure the domination of a Reich of all humanity and the downfall of all our enemies. Only then, will ourselves and our Nictus allies be able to save the worthiest of the human species from the Coming Storm.
Coming Storm was bolded for a good reason, but what exactly it referred to was not kept on the network; as if the 5th Column simply expected everyone to automatically know what it referred to and felt no need to record it. The term filled you with a sense of worry and dread, the sort of pensive fear that you imagined people felt when the risk of human extinction due to nuclear war or climate change hung heavy over everyone's heads in the 20th and 21st century. A shadow over your thoughts and a strangling python of unwanted anticipation whose coils fixated your attentions on catastrophes. What could go wrong, what would happen if you couldn't save these people. What would happen if you weren't strong enough to save them...like back in the.
...The memories of fire and smoke drifted around you, the wraith of nightmarish recollection circling around you as you froze briefly. Your breath hitched, and your attentions briefly drifted from reality to what your powers of vision were able to pluck from the strands of fate. Devastation, apocalypse, and the unfathomable heat of destruction.
Everything was burning...
Your suit sensed your alarm and quickly administered corrective procedures, drawing your attention back to reality as your spacing out had made you miss that you had lost the advantage of surprise. Nothing too shocking given how visible your armour was, but you now heard chatter in german and your suit sliced into the radio feeds going between Soldaten who were investigating what was all the ruckus from your end of the room. You started to walk away from the terminal, raising your cannon and checking your suit's radar and motion trackers as well as trusting your body's own senses.
You sensed someone nearby who had hostile intentions and stopped, turning to confront them with your cannon raised.
Soldats are soldiers pressganged into the ranks of the Gesellschaft as part of its recent efforts to expand following contact with the 5th Column and Weltreich. While only possessing basic augmentations and relatively simple equipment, if advanced by the standards of this planet, they are numerous and thanks to hypno-indoctrination programs and cloning technology; are endlessly expendable. Armed with a large assortment of enhanced conventional weaponry, they do not pose a substantive threat to yourself, but are a danger to civilians and less durable allies. Efforts however, are being continually made to improve their equipment and augmentations at low cost.
Samus' Notes: It feels sick to throw people this poorly equipped into battle. So many of them have debilitating genetic conditions, long-term health risks, and they're sending them into a fight with basic tools while filling their heads with so many lies! I hope there's something I can do to save them.
Arne's Notes: I feel bad for them in a way. They're being sent to die for causes they barely understand. But they've been filled with so much hate that they're going to die for them all the same. Best I can do is take apart the Gesellschaft so nobody else suffers like this.
(Rated by Underling Standards)
Durability: Mediocre
Strength: Mediocre
Firepower: Mediocre
Speed: Mediocre
Combat Skill: Mediocre
Type of Combatant: Basic infantry
A Soldat armed with a shotgun fired at you, the pellets incinerating on your shielding without a single shield point lost before your cannon extended and set to the white highlights of the cryolyte. A single shot went out from your cannon and engulfed the Soldat in a wave of anti-energy that turned the very air around them into a solid sheet of ice.
Universal Ammo Count: 239/240
Assault was quick behind, absorbing a bit of the kinetic energy you were leaving behind yourself to rush into the next Soldat with a shotgun, a fist swung out and catching the Nazi by his gas masked face and throwing him clear through the wall.
"So, not even going to bother asking how many of you guys are dimensional transplants or locals." He said as he took a rifle butt to the face without so much as flinching before retaliating with a knee tot he gut that sent the offending Soldat head over heels.
An ETC weapon erupted to life, spraying plasma coated lead downrange before a fully charged Battery rushed downrange, letting the rounds bounce off of her fully charged form before she tackled him into the next room and tossed him into the closet before twisting a metal bar over the door to lock him inside.
"Guten Tag." Molotok said as she tapped on a Soldat's shoulder, prompting him to turn around with an angry burst of German ranting about not wanting to be bothered unless it's by the Kommandant just before he got a fist to the face and got tossed out a window by the hallway.
"Intruder alert!" One of the soldiers shouted before a bouncing grenade detonated amongst them, pink foam erupting outwards and sealing up the squad who had started to wheel their weapons around.
"Where is that teleporter bringing in all these Fritzes?" Serp said with a hint of irritation in his voice as the soldiers groaned in protest in an attempt to break free of their containment.
"Couldn't tell you, they're using something to obscure scans." You said, your suit analysing the interference that was in the air. You didn't tarry for too long however, launching yourself into a kickflip as a snarling hulk of metal rushed down towards you, claws extended and jaws snapping with shockwave inducing force as they just missed you.
The Panzerhund howled with frustration, having just missed you while its robotic mind turned its thought processes towards your allies, its jaws opening up and the nozzle of a flamethrower extending outwards before letting a river of fire out.
Your eyes widened and you shot your cryolyte into the river of fire just as Battery tackled Assault out of the way; frost overcoming the burning superfuel and turning the stream into a frozen sculpture connecting the Panzerhund to the wall. It took only a second for it to break free, but Serp struck at the machine's exposed fuel tanks with a HEAT warhead, the eruption of burning fluid engulfing the war machine and drawing a high pitched roar from it.
"Thanks, now, lemme see if this dog's housebroken." Assault said, standing himself up and throwing a blow into the panzerhund's face to knock it to the ground.
Already on the move, you flinched at a nearby panzerfaust detonation, not harmful but definitely an annoyance as it filled the room with smoke and debris. A burst high-energy blue laser fire skidded off of your shielding from a volley sent down range by Soldats marked with blue highlighted uniforms. However you weren't overly concerned, deciding it was more important to start dealing with this formation than to try dodging.
Energy Count: 07(97)
Easily acquiring them through the smoke, the hallway ahead of you with spazer-split cryolyte fire. The soldiers let out a series of shouts as they ducked out of the way, though plenty failed to make it as the sheets of cold encased not only their bodies but the very hall in sheets of frost to provide your allies with cover; letting them advance safely into the sides to flank the Soldaten trying to blockade the room.
Universal Ammo Count: 235/240
A soldat setting up a machine gun to try and suppress your position was grabbed by the throat by Assault before he could set the bolt into firing position.
"Sorry, gun show's over." He said before tossing the trooper out an already broken window to crumple onto the ground below; dazed but not seriously hurt. A bayonet thrust towards him, skidding off of him as he redirected the energy away from his body and grabbed the soldier into a hammer toss through several more of his compatriots.
Molotok launched out a wall of kinetic energy, bowling over a six more of the soldiers and barely even flinching when an ETC shotgun erupted in her chest. The energy flowed into her body, her armour scorching slightly from the heat of the plasma sheathed rounds before she threw her hands together and shaped the resulting thunderclap forward to sweep through the room; overwhelming the hearing of the soldiers caught in it.
Battery had moved around as fast as she was able after taking the requisite time to charge; borrowing containment foam grenades to take down the Soldats by the dozens from Serp as he duelled with a squad trying to pour down through the staircase, standing in the open and letting impacts glance off of his armour while his submachine guns rattled out lead down range.
"So how many of these krauts are there?" Serp said, punting a grenade tossed at him back to its senders and ducking out of the way of laser rifle fire.
You were about to shout out your estimation, revised for the clear presence of some teleporter letting more enemies move into position before you got a sense of warning. A sharp red sensation of imminent danger for one of your companions and jumped in front of him, taking a barrage of crimson bolts of energy for him and skidding back slightly.
Energy Count: 07(93)
You saw that the 5th Column had not been idle, dispatching Nacht Elites accompanied by Mek Men to support the outmatched Soldaten. From your point of view there were at least ten mekmen and ten elites moving into position; accompanied by a pair of Unteroffizers. There were more of them coming; you could feel it and their heavy weight on the causeways of destiny compared to the fodder you had so far been mowing your way through.
Derived from designs first conceived in Primal Earth's second world war, Mekmen serve as all-purpose infantry combat units and an invaluable aid to the 5th Column's combat efforts. Deceptively durable despite their slender construction, Mekmen are equipped with a cyclotronic cannon and a power claw as well as ultra-high-strength actuators for multi-ranged combat. Shielded and well armoured as well as fitted with self-repair nanites in newer models; the Mekmen also have an advanced A.I that allows them to think and reason as any other infantryman in the 5th Column. This intelligence is, however, designed from the ground up to be utterly subservient to the ideals of Nazism and Volkische ideology; believing its place; as a merely artificial being; to be at the service of the Aryan Herrenvolk.
Current models of Mekmen are also fitted with frag and concussion grenade launchers and can set their cyclotronic cannons to stun through feedback inducement should the 5th column require someone to be captured alive and need to be disabled first before taser net-grenades can be used. Their claws are also able to run a stunning charge through themselves to allow for disabling rather than outright killing, and all evidence suggests that the 5th Column has been working to capture Earth Bet parahumans for comparative analysis with their stock of Primal Earth metahumans. Countering Mekmen is a simple matter of overwhelming their defences, electrical or concussive weapons are particularly effective.
Samus' Notes: The thought of creating life capable of thinking and reasoning just to throw it away like this is obscene. How could these people just create something with wants and needs and twist them towards wanting to die for something as awful as the Reich?
Arne's Notes: There's a lot of ugly hacks made to ensure the subservience of the synthetic consciousness' personality and that it can't develop past a certain way. Ugly hacks for an ugly work I suppose. I guess they're afraid of the Mekmen questioning who's on top or whether anyone should be at all?
(Rated by Minion Standards)
Durability: Good
Strength: Good
Firepower: Good
Speed: Mediocre
Combat Skill: Mediocre
Type of Combatant: Robotic Infantry
There were likely at least two more groups like this; moving around; using the Soldaten as cannon fodder to distract your team from their motions and pick at the more vulnerable sections of the team. One was setting itself up for a dynamic entry from above to ambush Battery while she slugged three more Soldaten to the ground and berated them for not living up to the ubermensch standards, the other was likely to move into a bathroom whose walls were right by where Molotok and Assault were to hose them down with weapons fire as soon as they breached the door.
But the highest concern was not more elite grades of fodder; it was what they had decided to send after you specifically.
The floor beneath you exploded just as you moved out of the way and shoved Serp aside, getting a protest out of him as stone exploded all around the room. A pair of figures emerged from the ground below, one a man in power armour; the other a woman encased in an organic chitinous armour that extended wicked looking bone like claws from her wrists as she pulled herself free of the mess that their entry had made.
The first one caught your attention a bit, his power armour's gauntlets and boots being rather enlarged in a way that suggested that they had special weapons fitted into them. Power fists and boots for especially augmented kicks and punches you surmised. Their feldgrau, Prussian blue, and stark white armour had a smooth; shell-like helmet with two obnoxiously bright spotlight like lenses where his eyes were, the way the facemask fitted over the rebreather adding to the illusion of the blue and grey helmet giving a severe frown. A powerful array of thrusters and a rather agile construction suggested that this was a suit meant for speed as much as power; likely explaining the reliance on power gauntlets and boots over raw strength.
The woman's carapace was quite similar to a mixture of an insect's, a mollusc's shell, an armadillo's scutes, and a coral's mineral layer. Scaled and segmented, even flexible where bending was needed, bony and rigid and menacing where such movement wasn't required. Spiralling horns emerged from her temples, while her eyes were shielded by some manner of film-lens that gave her glare a bioluminescent blue colouration. Bone white and mottled green made up the colouration of her armour, with bioluminescent blue patches here and there. A lash like tail coiled out from behind her, ending in a serrated tip that whipped around back and forth as she exhaled through the semi-permeable grille around her mouth.
A native of Primal Earth named Maude de Martin who had once been a registered superhero in France named Sauveur Rapide; he defected to the 5th Column out of a belief that immigration by those who could not assimilate into French culture was the primary cause of the crime he battled. Dispatched to Earth Bet to help monitor the 5th Column's efforts to combine and distill the best of both multiverseS' superhuman abilities into a new breed of ubermensch; Maude takes with him the engineering talent that allowed him to develop the "Mars" armour. Developing his armour around an extraterrestrial power source; continued exposure to the power source is also gradually mutating him, a process that the 5th Column promises a method to not simply cure, but to neutralise the negative side effects thereof while maintaining the benefits it has given him. So far, the treatments have been effective in maintaining morphological stability while retaining the greatly enhanced physique and neurology the mutations have given him.
In battle, Maude is fast and highly mobile; making use of a wide variety of combat techniques downloaded into his memory by his armour to keep his opponents off-balance. However, he primarily prefers to fight at melee, dodging around efforts to keep him pinned in place or absorbing attacks not strong enough to harm him through his shielding or composited armour plating. He channels energy through his armour to greatly augment his striking power. At a distance, he primarily relies on channeling this energy at range outside of focusing points on his suit, though he has some built-in weapon systems such as micro-missiles, coilguns, and acid sprayers. His armour's primary weakness is a lack of resistance against cryogenic weapons and a need to diminish offensive capability to boost self-repairs without a source of energy that it can drain should the armour start to receive component damage.
Samus' Notes: The power suit is reasonably sophisticated for what they have to work with, but there's plenty of flaws as far as I can tell. The suit's overly dependent on a central power source, any part of the suit severed from it loses all power. Not like the distributed power systems in my armour. I think I might just have to rip his armour apart by hand.
Arne's Notes: As much as that would appeal to me, I think it'd be better to just tear out the power source and disable his suit all at once. While he's still superhuman without it, he'd be a much smaller concern. You'd be able to do this bare handed; with your armour it should be overkill.
Quick Stats (Relative to Samus and Arne, as a miniboss character all categories are more meaty than for standard enemies):
Durability: Good
Strength: Good (Great Striking power)
Firepower: Middling
Speed: Good (Flight Capable)
Combat Skill: Great
Type of Combatant: High Speed Melee Striker
Once Jennifer Wentworth; Wildes Kind used to be the self-appointed "lethal protector" of Paragon City, infamous for her resorting to lethal force repeatedly in virtually all scenarios even when not warranted. Stripped of her hero license by the Superhero community and forced into vigilanteism; Wildes was picked up by the 5th Column who reported an "appreciation" of her talents. A mutant with the ability to radically alter her own biomass and generate additional biomass in violation of mass-energy conservation; Jennifer is able to adapt to differing forms of trauma on command and shift her precise set of strengths and weaknesses. However emphasising one ability and form of defence will usually come at the expense of other; contradicting capabilities. For Example: becoming faster comes at the expense of bulk, mass, and durability, resisting heat through ablative plating makes her more vulnerable to concussive impacts, and so on so forth. She also has a greatly accelerated healing factor, though to make the most of it, she requires additional biomass to absorb. Shielding or armour will block her ability to absorb biomass, and your own progenitor genetic coding would be impossible for her to consume or assimilate, causing cell-death within her feeding spores on contact.
In combat, Wentworth relies primarily on a combination of biologically generated spines, claws, combat usage of the spores she can generate, and biochemicals. She possesses greatly augmented strength, durability, and reflexes, though still inferior to your own by a large margin. A vicious and often savage combatant, Wentworth will typically maul opponents to tear open flesh to absorb biomass from the viscera she leaves behind to augment her own abilities. Finally, she will leave behind a cloud of defensive spores to refract incoming energy attacks or prematurely intercept projectile weapons in an effort to force melee conflict, where she has the greatest ability to cause damage. However parts of her body severed from her nervous system will die if not reattached and cauterizing or cryonically rupturing her cells will permanently remove biomass, making the power blade, pyronic, or extremely cold weapons such as the pyromissile and cryolyte an effective means of removing biomass from her body; particularly when she isn't adapted to such impacts. She is also capable of cloaking herself; though simply switching between visors will foil her present means of stealth and she cannot fully disguise her sound.
Samus' Notes: Okay, I just need to separate her from the rest of the combat and keep her from absorbing extra biomass. And deal with everything else happening at once. Maybe I should contact Arne and rejoin our efforts? There's so much to keep track of to make sure nobody gets hurt.
Arne's Notes: All she needs to do is to alternate between regular and pyromissiles and add in some cryolyte shots. Step in a few times with the power blade and some tearing motions...It's going to be a pain to deal with her and keep everyone else safe, but I think Samus might be able to use her cold-based weapons to create some cover.
Quick Stats (Relative to Samus and Arne, as a miniboss character all categories are more meaty than for standard enemies):
Durability: Resilient (Extreme regeneration)
Strength: Acceptable
Firepower: Acceptable
Speed: Acceptable (Morphable)
Combat Skill: Good (Savage)
Type of Combatant: Hyper-adaptive jack-of-all trades.
Situation
Arne, Bumblebee, and Strongarm have successfully breached the most defended point of the Campus without taking any substantive damage.
Most of the initial enemy forces have been wiped out.
The enemy is bringing in additional reinforcements totalling triple the original strike force plus three platoons of Elites lead by three Obersts each to deal with Arne, Bumblebee and Strongarm.
They are moving in a triangle formation to try and enclose the three from three sides to prevent withdrawing.
Civilian population is 90% evacuated from the danger zone.
Two parahumans and a Nacht Elite Squadron are ready to engage Arne, directly in front of him; and will try to separate him from the two autobots.
Arne is in a MODERATE RISK, HIGH INTENSITY engagement.
Arne is 30% of the way to the objective.
Samus' group has successfully entered the university.
Additional enemy patrols were rerouted to deal with Samus' team after reaching 50% of the way to the objective
No injuries have been recorded on Samus' team.
A Nacht Elite and Mekman platoon have been dispatched to engage the Parahumans; splitting into three groups; one to deal with Serp, one to deal with Battery, another with Molotok and Assault.
Samus' team stands at SUBSTANTIAL risk of injury from a HIGH-INTENSITY engagement and will require intervention to ensure nobody gets hurt.
Arne and Samus' groups can MERGE COMBATS with moderate difficulty, increasing engagement intensity but allowing for supporting actions.
Two metahumans are ENGAGING Samus for a miniboss battle.
The Munich Police has not responded.
Local Parahumans are focused on evacuation.
The Bundeswehr has not responded.
Additional enemy reinforcements en route.
CHOZO ARTIFACT NEARBY
Actions
[]: Write in plan
Due to the complexity of this engagement the distant sight (I.E my G.M recommendations) is a bit fuzzier. Ergo it will be up to you to write up a plan, which I will mark in colours (Green, Yellow, or Red) to give you a gauge on how good of an idea it is. Specify which of the two characters will do what.
Your priorities are:
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
The usual recommendations are as follows:
Aggressive point-blank strategies will prevent enemies from focusing on nearly anything else, but also narrows your focus onto the engaged group of enemies.
Ranged attacks let you support more people of your choosing but makes it harder to intervene and block shots when needed.
Scattering your team is good at covering multiple objectives, but can make it difficult to support each other and protect them.
Your human team mates are vastly less durable than you are and cannot be expected to take heavy duty firepower for long. While Assault and Molotok can take kinetic impacts, directed energy weapons are much more of a problem for them.
The Autobots will generally speaking, be fine with any punishment thrown their way.
The Autobots cannot fit indoors without damaging the structure.
Due to Samus' stealthy entry, most of the enemies In her route will be bypassed, but more of the enemy reinforcements will be targeted towards Arne.
The enemy has realised that Samus and Arne are the greatest individual threats and are focusing their firepower on them.
You can give NPC allies recommendations, but they might not necessarily follow them.
The follow up posts will come out sooner and be a lot shorter than this. This one got way longer than expected to make up for the delay.
We need to put together a plan first. I'll do one tonight based of my list of priorities above. I've been slowed down since my laptop broke and is in for repair so I'm on my old less broken laptop right now.
ok so what's the protocol for submitting a plan? Because mine was to have Arne focus on the two superhumans nearest to him while the Autobots deal with the reinforcements. Meanwhile Samus deals with the superhumans near her while Molotok, Serp, Assualt, and Battery focus on the cannon fodder.
ok so what's the protocol for submitting a plan? Because mine was to have Arne focus on the two superhumans nearest to him while the Autobots deal with the reinforcements. Meanwhile Samus deals with the superhumans near her while Molotok, Serp, Assualt, and Battery focus on the cannon fodder.
You specify what you want which character to do, what priorities you want them to have, and any particular actions you want them to take to perhaps exploit weaknesses, move the zone of engagement, or target a specific foe or prioritise a specific weapon.
Priority arrangement (Per Character, sort from highest to lowest):
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Tactics (Per Character; pick one per character):
[]: Aggressive Melee: Get in close to an enemy and attack them in melee with only limited usage of range weapons, this will focus most of your damage output on the first two priority targets and largely prevent them from engaging anything else while having a good chance of eliminating them in one turn. However it does limit your area of effect damage a bit and your melee options still remain a bit more limited than they could be so your attacks will mostly be blunt force or blade work based.
[]: All out firepower: Focus primarily on getting in shots to damage and destroy enemies while keeping your distance; making use of your ranged weapons, particularly your powerful missiles and charged shots, dealing severe damage, having some risk of collateral damage, being quite the obvious target while blasting anyone who gets your attention and allows you to intervene in other combats, but prevents you from physically intercepting attempts to engage allies in melee if they can survive the hits due to your focus on staying away.
[]: Hit and run: Go from target to target, never letting them lock you into a combat but bouncing from melee to range as needed, attacking most of your priority targets at least somewhat. You will also be in a good position to move and intercept shots meant for allies; tanking them for them and keeping them safe or quickly moving squishies out of harm's way if they're in over their heads as they can quite easily be.
[]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
[]: Furious assault: Close in and make use of short range subweapons combined with melee tactics, short ranged beam and missile fire and other high damage techniques to simply destroy everything in your way; you will do the most damage this way and probably command the greatest amount of attention as you fully unleash the frightful breadth of your firepower. However this is likely to make your enemies scatter to get out of the way without having as much chance to lock them down as melee and lacks the command of the battlefield of firepower or the speed of alt-mode and hit and run.
[]: Balance: Engage in a balanced set of tactics not favouring any one particular weapon for a middle of the road approach to battle. No particular benefits or penalties.
[x]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
Focus on groups and keep people tied up while shredding in AOE
[x]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
[x]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
[X]: Priority arrangement Samus (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
[X]: Priority arrangement Arne (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Tactics Arne:
[X]: Furious assault: Close in and make use of short range subweapons combined with melee tactics, short ranged beam and missile fire and other high damage techniques to simply destroy everything in your way; you will do the most damage this way and probably command the greatest amount of attention as you fully unleash the frightful breadth of your firepower. However this is likely to make your enemies scatter to get out of the way without having as much chance to lock them down as melee and lacks the command of the battlefield of firepower or the speed of alt-mode and hit and run.
Tactics Samus:
[X]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
@Renu drew this bit of cover art for me on commission! Here's our two protagonists out doing what they do best; making a lot of stuff explode while looking really cool while doing it.Samus being the bolder and brasher one while Arne tries his best to remain cool under pressure.
[X]: Priority arrangement Samus (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
[X]: Priority arrangement Arne (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Tactics Arne:
[X]: Furious assault: Close in and make use of short range subweapons combined with melee tactics, short ranged beam and missile fire and other high damage techniques to simply destroy everything in your way; you will do the most damage this way and probably command the greatest amount of attention as you fully unleash the frightful breadth of your firepower. However this is likely to make your enemies scatter to get out of the way without having as much chance to lock them down as melee and lacks the command of the battlefield of firepower or the speed of alt-mode and hit and run.
Tactics Samus:
[X]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
[X]: Priority arrangement Samus (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
[X]: Priority arrangement Arne (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Tactics Arne:
[X]: Furious assault: Close in and make use of short range subweapons combined with melee tactics, short ranged beam and missile fire and other high damage techniques to simply destroy everything in your way; you will do the most damage this way and probably command the greatest amount of attention as you fully unleash the frightful breadth of your firepower. However this is likely to make your enemies scatter to get out of the way without having as much chance to lock them down as melee and lacks the command of the battlefield of firepower or the speed of alt-mode and hit and run.
Tactics Samus:
[X]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
Arc 1: Fourfold Endeavour. Mission 1: Nazi Punks Fuck Off! Part 5
[X]: Priority arrangement Samus (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
[X]: Priority arrangement Arne (Luper):
Ensure no/minimal civilian casualties.
Defeat the mini-boss characters.
Defeat the deployed enemy formations.
Secure the objective (central data repository)
Locate Chozo Artifact (Alimbic artifact has not yet been approached).
Ensure your squishier team mates aren't harmed.
Tactics Arne:
[X]: Furious assault: Close in and make use of short range subweapons combined with melee tactics, short ranged beam and missile fire and other high damage techniques to simply destroy everything in your way; you will do the most damage this way and probably command the greatest amount of attention as you fully unleash the frightful breadth of your firepower. However this is likely to make your enemies scatter to get out of the way without having as much chance to lock them down as melee and lacks the command of the battlefield of firepower or the speed of alt-mode and hit and run.
Tactics Samus:
[X]: Alt-Mode combat: Use your alt-mode to surprise the enemy with bombs/pulses, boost impacts, dashing in and out of areas only your alt-mode can fit into to cause trouble with pot shots or sneak attacks, lower damage output but very frustrating for enemies and has good AOE due to the heavy emphasis on explosives. This keeps the enemy from being sure who you're going to assist and allows you to frequently gain the benefit of surprise or move to suddenly block shots.
Samus
Wildes Kind was the person who posed the most substantial possible problem due to her unpredictability and the lack of protection most of your allies had against her biological consumption abilities. However, you couldn't exactly neglect the other threats facing your team; especially with the powerful Nacht Elites and Mek Men on the way or Metallrakete's power suit-clad firepower to handle. So much to do, yet you couldn't be everywhere at once.
The sensation of a nearby Chozo reliquary was a touch distracting, you so desperately wanted to see what your caretakers could have left behind for you and Arne, but you needed to focus on the here and now. Wildes Kind was about to speak, some sort of declaration of intent if your brief visions of the future were anything to go by. You weren't going to let her even start talking.
You curled into the morph ball with a flash of orange light, her words dying before they even left her throat as she started on a "What the fu-" before you finished charging up a mass of kinetic energy until the sphere started glowing orange-yellow. Then you launched forward like a railgun projectile and smashed into Wildes Kind before she could process what happened.
The impact made a loud thunderclap, Jennifer just barely moving in time for your form to smash into her arm rather than her midsection. The loud crack of splintering bone and a broken carapace from a glancing hit accompanying the spray of toxic blood as she cried out with a voice your armour's vibration analysers translated into audio inputs to make up for moving too fast for the sound to catch up to you. She was already regenerating though, her bio-armour was hurt, but her limb remained intact as she adjusted her body to withstand further kinetic impacts.
Maude brought up a shield as you careened towards him, skidding backwards as you smashed into his defensive screens and sent him into a spin; a loud cry of "Merde!" coming from him as you skidded up a half-pipe and launched yousefl again with the spring ball to drop between the Nacht Elites about to drop down on Assault.
A corrosion bomb was dropped from your morph ball, green energy lashing out and eating away at the defenses in its path. The ordinary soldiers mixed in with the Elites dissolved instantly; elite and mekmen shielding sputtering briefly before you transformed in a flash.
From the left; a snap kick came towards you, strong enough to crush an armoured car. You chose to absorb the attack, a minor impact.
Energy: 07(096)
Your cannon clicked and the offending soldier ate a three-shot burst of spazer-wave blasts from your cannon; scattershotted electric-purple bolts leaping outwards and reducing the soldier to dust as the electric and spazer energy brought him to a shuddering standstill, his body convulsing with electricity that would have reduced an ordinary person to ionic ash countless times over. But he and the others near him who were also struck pushed themselves to their feet while a rotary gun spat forth hundreds of hypersonic rounds at you per second.
Dodging between the individual rounds as the gunner sprayed them towards you, you caught the gunner in a cryolyte blast before the nearest Mekman's charged particle cannon struck out at you with a stream of protons at near light speed. Knowing where they were aiming, you twisted out of the way then allowed yourself to take the follow up shot from their compatriot before responding with five missiles in one burst to annihilate the Soldaten and the Panzerhunde who accompanied them.
Universal Ammo Count: 234/240
Missile Count: 150/155
Energy 07(94)
Your power blade extended and arced with electricity and the spazer effect before you swung it in a wide arc and met brief resistance from its shielding and then its clawed hand. Then you pushed forwards and snapped its power fields in twain before carving through its armour and cutting it into nine pieces with one swing. Rapid-fire proton packs were thrown down range at you, but you had already disappeared with the morph ball and latched onto another, rapidly dropping bombs to reduce three of the mekmen to scrap. Every bit of nazi artifice reduced to scrap metal made you feel a little better about today, that your time on this planet had a reason as you absorbed the scrap metal to create more missiles.
Missile Count: 155/155
You unfurled again, your boot slamming into the head of another Nacht Elite with a thundercrack and their body going limp as something snapped rather loudly; their body flopping around on the ground as Wildes Kind smashed their way through the floor with claws extended; raking towards you. You ducked beneath her and shoulder checked her, throwing her back as she let out a roar of frustration and regurgitated a stream of corrosive at you. Your shielding absorbed the puke, and your cannon clicked once to fire a super missile that threw Jennifer clean out of the building; the shockwave reducing nearby elites and mekmen into paste and dust while Jennifer's limbs were shorn from her body.
You'd perhaps feel bad for the carnage inflicted on them, but you remembered what the Swastika they wore proudly represented and all thoughts of pity for them vanished. You remembered reading about Babi Yar, and your hand reached towards the throat of an Elite in a red rage and crushed it with a squeeze; almost feeling disappointed when the thunderclap of displaced air informed you he was no longer there.
Super Missile Count: 29/30
"What is this? A Striker 50?" One Elite snarled before you grabbed at the nearest Mekman as it sought to smash an energy sheathed claw into you. Moving it into the path of ETC Rifle fire, you shot a charged blast at the Unteroffizer leading the Elites, his body convulsing as he was tossed out the same hole Jennifer went through; armour particulates wafting away from the shrieking charge of nine electrowave spheres crashing into him. Tossing the damaged Mekman away, you rolled back into the morph ball and shot back down, dropping bombs in your wake while Battery smashed a table over the head of a Soldat just beside you.
"Doing alright?" Battery said with a grin, her body sparking as Soldaten emptied clips into her to no avail before she kicked another table through the lot of them. Her confidence melted as an Elite dropped down, checking her punch with a quick parry and then rolling her into a knee to the gut and an over the shoulder toss.
You let out a missile to hit the Elite, the canny superhuman moving just quickly enough to evade the warhead's lock-on thanks to some repulsion device to give him a dash of speed; but not fast enough to stop the shockwave from knocking him on his ass.
Missile Count: 154/155
"Yeah, I'm fine." You said as you found Metallrakete jetting towards you with a power fist swung in your direction; trying to push you towards the direction of the Oberst who rocketed downwards with a jumping crane kick. You flinched slightly forwards from the supersonic impact of the Oberst and; busy trying to line up a cryolyte shot to freeze two of the mekmen that had arrived to target Battery while she was trying to recharge; weren't able to avoid the power uppercut into your stomach that sent you back a bit farther.
Universal Ammo Count: 234/240
Energy 07(88)
Martin's follow up blow never connected though, as you had already transformed and used the spider-ball to grip onto him and hit him face first with a full volley of three regular bombs followed up with a corrosion bomb before boosting off of him to smash into the Oberst to throw him through the wall, uncurling and letting your grapple beam yank Metallrakete into a wheel kick that smashed him headfirst into the ground. More bombs greeted him before you rolled away, disappearing from his sight as the frustrated 5th Column Warrior charged a great burst of energy into his gauntlets and released them in a massive cone; erupting in an all consuming flash that could have levelled this complex if it weren't so focused that forced you to uncurl and move in the way to stop it from consuming Serp.
Energy 07(79)
His shoulder pods opened up and released a spray of bunker buster missiles, much of which were shot down before they could reach anything of import, but the others were aimed towards Serp as he ducked out of the way of Mekmen fire. You swatted some out of the way, cut more in half, and intercepted a half dozen more with your body, letting the impacts rumble through you but remaining standing.
Energy 07(75)
"You think you've mastered the metal around you? I built this suit myself! I know its every feature and limitation! I have features for every occasion and weapons for every contingency! Your scrap-iron can't hope to match my ingenuity! So prepare to meet your maker!" He shouted, clearly full of confidence as his helmet's optics erupted with laser cutters that you moved once again to prevent from hitting anything else, not letting the energy cut its way into the street.
Energy 07(72)
"I am an epitome of Aryan mechanical ingenuity and genius! And when Requiem sees my talents I'll no longer be troubled with wastrels like you!" He ranted as you decided to let him exhaust his options, moving closer to him as he rapid fired his proton pulses before rushing in to clock you with a power fist with a deafening thunderclap.
Energy 07(68)
"And now, you're finished!" He said, smashing down into you with double hammer fists charged with energy, releasing the stored up power into your armour with everything he could build up at the moment a blow to shift mountains and lay out foes who could stand up after an impact form a tactical nuclear missile.
Energy 07(54)
And you were still standing, rising up to your full height and glaring at him through your helmet. You had let him vent his fury and found it desperately wanting. Now you were going to show him the difference between you and some jumped up Nazi in a tin suit.
"...Oh, Merde." He said, his voice getting very small as he realised his mistake before you grabbed at one of his arms casually and pried them open. There was a rush of triumph as you pushed him back, relishing in his realisation that he made a terrible miscalculation.
"Neither your speeches nor your power armour are worth a damn." You said, having had about enough of toying with him before you pulled him in for a brutal knee to the stomach that got a sharp cry of pain from him before you swung him around and slammed him through the cavalcade of 5th column troops threatening Serp as he let volleys of shotgun fire from his suit go down range; the young Russian stepping out of the way before the screaming french neo-nazi rocketed past him.
"Serp, you need to rejoin the others. You guys are too spread out!" You said as he sent grenades down range towards the Mekmen, thrown clean on his ass by a bolt from a Mekmen and groaning from the impact. Your heart briefly faltered, you let him get hurt. You shook off the feeling of guilt, no, he was still in the fight.
"Bit busy. Gonna lie down here a bit. Regret life choices that lead me here and all." He said, the score of protonic energy dug into his suit glowing hot before you grabbed at him with the grapple beam and swung him into the room where Battery was at, crushing a wave of Soldaten beneath him as he let out a wailing cry followed by a distant "...I'm okay..." Followed by a cough as he stood back up.
"Battery, can you get with Assault?" You asked before Assault was thrown down onto the ground by the vicious tackle of a Panzerhund, its jaws snapping at his head and its flame thrower extending outwards while Molotok tried to pull back on the metallic canine.
"Bad dog! SIT! HEEL!" Molotok shouted as she yanked on its tail while Assault tried to keep its jaws from snapping around his head with his kinetic energy manipulation. Were it a contest of raw strength, his head would be pulp; he wasn't physically strong enough to contest the hydraulics of a machine that could bite with the force of triple digit tonnes per square millimetre. But he could cheat, pushing the energy of the machine's jaws back into itself to prevent it from closing.
Battery had fully charged by this point, and slammed into the opened jaws of the Panzerhund to spark its internal fuel system with an electromagnetic wave that cooked its internals and let Molotok grab and fling it into an Unteroffizer before it exploded, flincing away and bringing up a shield to block a tank smashing impact from the now back in the fray Oberst. She dropped to a knee and took a deafening cracking punch to the face from the superhuman nazi, followed by at least six more punches before she could blink as you found yourself beset by multiple Panzerhund leaping from the background, all trying to bite down at you while you darted around in morph ball mode.
Assault had recovered and intercepted a thunderkick from the Oberst, flincing and grunting at the impact before a headbutt forced him to put his redirection powers into overdrive; cracking the ground as he pushed the energy into the earth. Serp stabbed at the Oberst's back with his sickle, making the superhuman Elite flinch forwards and letting Battery clasp her hands together and swing them in a diagonal double uppercut that smashed the Oberst through the wall, panting a bit as she was then forced to intercept a magazine of fire from an elite; whom Assault treated to a fateful reunion with the hulk of a ruined Panzerhund that bowled over three of the elites and half a dozen mekmen as he absorbed the needed kinetic energy and released it forwards.
You rolled through while evading the Panzerhund, dropping a few toxic bombs in the midst of the elites before transforming and releasing a quick burst of missiles to eliminate the elites hosing down your friends' position just before you moved out of the way of Molotok releasing her charged kinetic energy in a hammerblast. The remaining minions were scattered like bowling pins and Serp had just finished cleaning house with the Soldaten, letting emptied magazines click to the floor as the last of the soldiers mediported out with ragged holes in them; multiple mekmen in ruins around him while his armour plaintively requested repairs as he slunk down.
Missile Count: 150/155
Bouncing between the remaining panzerhunde with your boost ball like the world's deadliest pinball, you racked up an impressive array of smashed machines for your effort before you spotted your quarry once again and bounced off of the broken open jaw of another panzerhunde to smash into the earth in the direction of Wildes Kind.
Jennifer had recovered by this point and was ready for your boost charge, moving out of the way of your impact but taking a few bombs to the face for her troubles. She snarled with frustration and let her barbed tail reach towards you, your boost ball ramming into Metallrakete as he tried to intercept you and tossing him aside, letting him bounce across the courtyard like a ball before you transformed, grappled off of a column and swung around to kick right into the adapter.
Her body quivered as you threw her into and through a mass of lockers and walls, landing on the ground with a skid and firing another grapple beam from your arm cannon to rope her into a headbutt to smash her into the ground.
She was by now, thoroughly used to blunt force trauma and stood up, lashing out with a volley of spines coated in vile chemicals that hissed their way through the floor and walls that managed to resist their hypersonic impact. With the wide area burst, it wasn't quite possible to dodge them, but you weren't overly concerned with the impacts.
Energy 07(52)
She extended long tendrils, roping out of her back and lashing towards you to try and grab onto you and pull your arm out of firing position, wiping her face as she made a reptilian growl beneath her carapace helm, clicking as her boots extended raptor like claws. You smirked as you yanked her towards you with a harsh pull of your arm, throwing her off her feet and putting her directly into the path of a fully charged electrowave-spazer beam that flooded her body with a massive quantity of electricity.
"Gonna k-kil-killlllll youuuyoyouyou!" She jittered as her whole body spasmed from the dumping of an utterly obscene quantity of lightning into her body, her biocarapace disintegrating immediately and her scales flaking away while her spines burnt off. Beneath the carapace she was just about naked, a woman whom you figured the 5th column allowed to rise in their misogynistic ranks at least partly because of her appeal to some of its kommandants. But she was a bit too old for you and you had work to do. The electricity continued to spasm through her as her cells broke down into ash, but you didn't finish it there; you charged up your cryolyte and smirked beneath your helmet.
"That doesn't seem very likely right now, does it?" You said as you unleashed a torrent of anti-energy that enveloped her now unarmoured frame before she could start regenerating before your cannon clicked once more and a super missile flew out; striking at her hard enough to immediately force her to mediport out to avoid dying right there on the spot as her cellular structure broke down.
Universal Ammo Count: 228/240
Super Missile Count: 28/30
That only left Martin, who predictably tried to fly at you from behind for a flying tackle, only for you to deflect his arm with a shoulder check and rope him into a fist to his face that shattered his shielding, his armour sparking as he was thrown backwards with a thunderclap only to be pulled back in with the grapple beam; your grapple voltage tearing his suit's power reserves out of his armour. His armour shut down with a fading whir, his movements becoming more sluggish as his suit no longer carried its own weight while your shielding shot back up to full.
Energy 07(99)
"W-what is th-this!?" He shouted as he tried to restart his armour suit, sparks flying out of the now encumbering armour as systems tried to reignite deactivated fuses.
"Let's see what's under that." You said as your hand crunched through his power suit and grabbed at the man beneath before you pulled back hard enough to pull him out of his coverings, letting a blond french man with a military buzzcut squirm in your grasp as his armour tore open for your pull with the shriek of violated metal. You could have beaten him in just your zero suit; even unarmoured honestly, it wouldn't have been that hard if you could focus him down, but right now?
You twisted your thumb and he and the remains of his suit were forced to teleport out; save for some components left behind, along with what your suit had managed to compile from the DNA of the recently defeated Wildes Kind. You were sure that when they next met you, they'd be better prepared for you, getting the feeling that they hadn't expected anyone of your fighting caliber to be present here. Indeed they seemed to not have expected people with substantially superhuman durability combined with agility to have arrived here at all. All the better for you; your allies would appreciate not having to take those kinds of hits and you hadn't brought any shielding or armour resilience upgrades so your durability was a bit under par. You had some in your ship but of course, you couldn't reach it just yet.
But on the matter of your spoils of victory well, you were always interested in that sort of thing; you reached over and touched the upgrades.
Their energy sources and missile feeds were combined into an energy tank and a bonus of about 15 missiles, 40 Universal Ammo, and four super missiles each as well as a resilience upgrade. As you and Arne have a semi-linked pool; these upgrades will pass onto him as well as soon as you have access to either of your ships.
Energy 08(99)
Missile Count: 170
Universal Ammo Count: 280
Super Missile Count: 34
Resilience modifier 1 (Take less damage in general)
Quite the bounty from a single fight if you do say so yourself, but what interested you more was what your armour deemed of sufficient interest from their ability sets.
From him, you received something quite intriguing; the Seeker missile.
The Seeker Missile allows the missile module to fire multiple missiles at a time in a single burst, each capable of independently tracking their own targets with augmented homing capabilities. The initial seeker missile upgrade allows for upwards of five missiles at a time to be fired and may be used with charged missiles, super missiles, elemental missiles, beam combos; or any mixture thereof. Be warned of ammo consumption when utilising this function.
From her, you got something just as intriguing.
The armour and zero suit will adjust its strengths to counter repeated stresses of a specific nature. If continually forced into contests of physical strength, they will augment the user's physicality further. If speed is repeatedly proven necessary, they will add to the user's speed; and if repeatedly impacted by a specific damage type, they will increase the user's resilience against that sort of impact. While only a limited number of adaptations at a time can be deployed or stored, this significantly increases user versatility.
Nice...
"Hey, uh...do you have a codename?" Serp said, shouting down into the hole in the ceiling above you while the others dropped down towards you.
"...Uhm." The thought never occurred to you what sort of codename to use on this planet. Aira-Sekh still felt like giving out a name after all.
"...Eh, we'll figure that out later." Serp said, dropping down after everyone else while Battery patted you on the shoulder.
"Nice work kid." She said with avuncular pride as you smiled beneath your helmet at her while Serp raised his hand.
"Going to need to fix up this suit, give me a moment please comrades." He said, using some autorepair systems and applying some sealant to help fix up the dings in his armour.
But your attentions were called down the hall by the top secret barred door ahead of you, the sounds of everyone's chatter fading away.
"Shh." You said, walking forward and pushing open the locked doors, stepping through to see the Chozo Statue simply sitting there with its claws opened and its hand holding an orb. It was in the midst of a cold laboratory; surrounded by instruments with the boards filled with readouts that indicated that the people studying it had absolutely no idea what to make of it. You barely needed to look at their theorems to know they were wrong. They knew it was not of this earth, but try as they might they couldn't make the statue live.
But you knew, you understood the old magic of the ancients, and you were all too eager to go ahead.
"Samus, are you sure you should be touching that thing? It's got to be behind reinforced glass for a reason." Battery said, trying to reach out for you before you slipped past her grasp.
"I think she recognizes the thing." Molotok said, squatting down and relaxing a bit, exhaling through her helmet and peeling it off to let herself cool down a bit, wiping her plated hand across her brow and grabbing for a flask of water on her pouch to take a big sip.
"Personally, eh; always wanted to poke the stuff in museums that say do not touch." Irina said with a coy smirk as she whipped her hair back.
"I like this kid." Assault cackled.
You smiled at the sight and rushed towards it while Serp caught up, forcing the plexiglass open to shoot at the statue's containment field for its treasure and reaching for it like your birthright. The armour analysed what it had been offered and then through a combination of sorcery and science, melded it into its systems as if it were always part of it.
Your armour received a few seamless attachments to it of golden colour, mostly at points such as the seams between the chestplate, at the edges of your pauldrons, at the sides of your boots, and other similar points. This was an upgrade you realised was quite familiar to you, something seen on Zoran.
You looked through the plexiglass next to where Assault was, and then time and space's distances were eliminated as you took a step and ended up right next to him; a simple blinking flash being the only warning that you had moved.
The Blink Pack is useful for allowing the user to teleport to any place they can perceive or have sufficient data about to enable them to transit safely. The device works through warping the fabric of spacetime to eliminate all distance between two points and circumventing most forms of obstacles, with the transition being instantaneous. Momentum will still be carried through when teleportation commences and is finished. If teleportation is made into a solid object or a dangerous environment; the user will be shunted to the nearest safe distance. However, if the target lacks sufficient Vitae, they will instead be destroyed by the teleportation, allowing the Blink Pack to be used offensively to finish off weakened opponents.
"Whoa, since when could you teleport?" Assault said, almost jumping back as you straightened yourself up.
"Since now actually." You said as your suit pinged you with a notice that you were quite close to the heart of the 5th column's operations here based on the degree of radio traffic.
Arne
You exploded into action without thinking very much. Battle was something automatic to you. Exciting, exhilarating, but something you worked on by reflex and instinct almost as much as by plan and tactic. Nektar was the most immediate danger, having the strength to contest many of your allies due to her 5th Column augmentations bolstering her parahuman abilities to a degree far beyond their norms. You smashed into the window the two parahumans were in and already opened up with beam fire to fry their help, forcing the two to scatter as you fired at a rate so fast it seemed continuous.
She was already bulking up, her body expanding in defiance of mass conservation until she was a hulk of muscle as tall as strongarm and as wide as a small dump truck with arms like the trunks of oak trees. Her musculature rippled beneath her armour plating as the titanness slammed her fists into the ground to try and catch you before you could close the distance with her, but you punched your arm cannon into her left arm to give her a jolt of pain before releasing a missile into it.
Missile Count: 140/155
Then you pulled her back out of the building with your grapple beam, spinning her around to choke slam her into the ground and then jumping off to evade her meaty fist. She stood herself up and you dodged out of the way of the Cyborg's lasers, keeping your eye on the hulking foe and catching her hammer blow with your free hand; shoving it back towards her to make her stumble.
She lurched back and gave you an opening to flip kick your boot into her head and knock her overboard; Bumblebee and Strongarm forming a defensive formation behind you as the ground behind you erupted into a series of explosions.
You flipped out of the way of a homing missile fired by a gunship, grabbing at the helicopter with your cannon grapple beam and slamming the aircraft into Nektar before she could regain her bearings, nodding at the explosion left behind before you shot off an ice missile to temporarily take her out of the fight. With her engulfed in a sheet of frigid matter released by the anti-energy field, you were now free to turn your attention to her companion.
Missile Count: 139/155
Stahlschadel's right arm transformed into a cannon and hummed before vomiting out a discharge of plasma, missing you as you flipped to the side and then curled into the psychomorph to boost into the cyborg and throw him off of his feet. You didn't let him fly away though, transforming back into humanoid mode to grab him by his feet and smash him against a Panzerhund trying to jump at you, throwing the machine back into the ground while your shock coil stabbed out like a tether of lightning into a mass of Elites trying to close with you.
Three disintegrated into subatomic dust, the Oberst forced you back with a punch to the stomach as you turned to fire off a missile at a Kolibri whose field of fire would have endangered apartments outside the battlezone, the aircraft erupting into shrapnel while you skidded backwards. Your fault, you were careless, slow. You shouldn't have taken a hit like that.
Missile Count: 138/155 Energy Count: 07(96)
You looked up and dug your heels in, bringing out your arm blade to intercept a crackling power zweihander from an unteroffizer swung down at you from the cover of a cloaking field. The muffled sounds he made giving him away even if you weren't prescient. Stahlschadel emerged again, his arms transformed into power fists and managing to clock you backwards into the grasp of a waiting Nektar as she broke free of her icy prison; your attention focused on kicking panzerhunde out of the way, shrapnel flying from your boot as the machine's head ruptured.
Energy Count: 07(90)
Nektar tried to crush downwards into you, squeezing at you to try and pulp you. You flexed outwards to force open her grip, swinging your power blade in a wide arc that sliced through her composite armour and enhanced flesh, drawing blood from her as she staggered backwards and held at her chest to let flesh, bone and armour knit back together.
Energy Count: 07(87)
"-You guys ever heard of baseball?-" Bumblebee quipped from the radio as he tossed a crumpled up Wachroboter into Nektar while Strongarm punted the Oberst trying to fix on you with his missile launcher through a window; her maul sweeping around to send Elites bowling into the sky like pins.
You were already moving to a Wachroboter, your shock coil lashing out to sap energy from it and crumble it into ash before you leaped into the next one behind it, smashing your cannon down into its head to rupture its optic and blasting open its core with a prismatic star-beam burst, absorbing its materials to refill your missile count as you batted a particle blast back into another one of the five meter robots, coring out its optics and vaulting back to slice it in half.
"You are fast, but how fast can you move in containment foam?" The Cyborg shouted at you as his chest opened up to let loose a volley of grenades that erupted into pink foam. The foam did manage to catch onto you, trying to hold your movements down. It was a good ploy, leverage was a necessity for most forms of strength and he was pouring it on to prevent you from moving freely.
But your shielding prevented it from properly latching onto you, and even if it had; the ice missile you fired would have frozen it into something far more brittle for you to shatter your way out of, pulling the surprised Cyborg with your Grapple Beam to swing him into Strongarm's fist with smashed him into an indentation on the ground.
She gave you a nod of acknowledgement. "Not bad human." She said as she stabbed the rotor blade of a fallen kolibri into a panzerhund trying to snap its jaws around her hand, her neutron assault rifle ripping another panzerhund in half while you darted between the Elites trying to plant charges on her.
You elbowed one, grabbed his explosive and planted it on his head; then you sidestepped the power dagger of another, took his knee without flinching and gutted him with your own power blade after shifting it into a sword grip, letting him mediport out while you twisted the arm of an Unteroffizer trying to coldcock you with a jab. They were good, you were born and bred for war when you were a child under the tutelage of those who had conquered so much of the known universe.
You let your contempt for them and everything they stood for guide your next move, you pulled the Offizer's arm off with a tug and gazed into his gas mask clad eyes with cold fury. To still believe what he did after everything someone like him had participated in, had done with his own hands, and had heard from the cries of the dying he had left behind. You didn't even need to question whether he was worth vaporising the lower half of with your beam weapon.
He disappeared, and you felt frustrated. Cheated almost. You were sure you'd be madder if you saw first hand what atrocities they were doing, your imagination was already running wild and you had to fight to retain focus and remember that you were in an incredibly bewildering firefight. You sidestepped out of the way of a crashing aircraft that slammed into the ground as Bumblebee shot off its rear with his solar cannon, your grapple beam yanking a Stahlwalkure around and slamming it into Soldaten who were trying to move into cover; the missiles still inside detonating and sending men flying in all directions.
Seemingly sensing your desire to keep the fight contained, a Kolibri rotated around towards the nearby apartments and your eyes shot wide open as you dropped your current engagement tasks. You threw yourself into a flying leap to take the incoming volley of missiles that would have ripped the bloc to dust and ash in the stead of the buildings. You were rewarded with a feeling of getting kicked in the gut, flying back and having to space jump to right yourself before vaulting back into the machine. Extending your blade and spinning around, you sliced open the helicopter and kicked it into another of its kin; firing off an ice missile and then a regular missile to shatter both into harmless shards.
Energy: 07(94) Missile Count: 153/155
You landed near some awestruck children and looked back at them.
"Whoa...what kind of hero are you?" One asked.
"Not important, get out of here now!" You said, looking at the Stahlwalkure drones approaching and then looking towards the two children and their parents. You remembered for a moment the sights of Cylosis; of men in armour with their terrible weapons cutting down everyone in Stygna city. Hot blood on your face from the dead of the planet, your mother running so furiously to get you to safety and that horrific monster chasing after you to the ends of the earth.
They knew they couldn't beat you, but they could pull your attention away by killing these people. They were going to die and it would be your fault. Like mom and dad, whom you could do nothing but watch as they fought without hope before being snuffed out.
You were not a helpless three year old caught in the end of his homeworld. You were a proud knight and squire. A posthuman warrior and the shield and sword. You jumped directly into the path of the Stahlwalkure as its missiles began to fire, taking each impact before you smashed your fist into the robot's face and yanked out its core to throw into the next one's missile bay; causing it to erupt into shards.
Energy: 07(92)
Shards that would have caused injury had you not pulled the next drone into the way of them, riding the sputtering machine into the ground and stamping down onto its engines to kill it while your beam ripped out, sawing dozens more into puffs of vaporised metal. A falling helicopter sputtered down towards you, its tail shot off by one of bumblebee's missile and its pilot killed by Strongarm's subsonic repeater.
The helicopter spiralled towards the family who panicked as it loomed over them, but you were there; and the machine's descent was stopped cold by your raw strength. You tossed the helicopter back into the battlezone and looked back at the family; shrugging as Bumblebee could be seen trading blows with Nektar, dancing around her fists and drubbing her with a lightning quick series of jabs.
"...What...What's your name? What can we call you?" The mother hesitated to ask as the youngest of them; a girl of about eight, approached you hesitantly to offer you her lollipop.
You turned around as Strongarm suplexed a Wachroboter behind you, bleating commands in german being silenced while some kind of tank shot at the autobot and made her lurch forwards from the impact. You inquired as to her status, but she assured you that she had a handle on it. Having a bit of time, you kneeled down towards the curious girl and took the offered candy in hand.
"You'll find it out later. But right now, this city isn't safe. Is there anywhere you could hide? Where you know there aren't any Nazis at? Somewhere lots of people can hide?" You said, letting your visor go transluscent to let them see that beneath the armour wasn't some kind of robot, but very much human eyes; caring and worried.
"Some of the old raid shelters are here. Are you saying this whole city's at risk?" The Dad said.
"Yes, I am. Tell everyone you can to find cover." You said, working on automatic; simply giving the information they needed to hear, not adding your own opinion. Nobody really wanted to hear it unless they were your close friends anyway. Zurvduat always made that clear to you, often painfully.
"What's going on? Why is there so much shooting?" The mother asked.
"The organisation you call the Gesellschaft is preparing a take over. They're bringing in an army. We're trying to stop them. Please, tell everyone you can that this place isn't safe." You said.
"Is that what the safety advisory was about? Why was it so coded?" They said, and then you felt a bit of outrage. You were under the impression that the civilians would have been told exactly what was about to go down. That they would have been told why it was so important that they get out of here as quickly as possible. Instead you...
You looked at the advisory warning with your armour.
"Heightened risk of parahuman violence at Munich due to gang activity. Please refrain from utilising the university until the situation is resolved."
That's it? Just...something that happens every other day? So many gawkers and passerby trying to investigate all the noise when this was an actual warzone? What the fuck are they thinking? Is their precious normalcy really that important to them? Do they think that the populace is just so compliant they'd all heed a mild warning and a long but vague list of advisories attached to that warning?
You choked back anger and blinked away angry tears before shaking your head.
"It's much worse than they say, please. Don't stick around here. Can you do that for me?" You said, looking down at the family as your visor became one-way once more.
"I...yeah." The older son said as you gave him a nod.
"Thanks, if you really want to know what we're like well...I can give you some video footage of my companion and I in action?" You said.
"...Comapnion huh?" The son said with a sly smirk as you flushed and realised you said a bit too much and jumped back into the fray. Right, still need to work on the opsec thing. You reflexively cringed at the thought of the hide tanning Zurvduat would have given you were you still under the Old General's tutelage. But you landed back into the fray after space jumping to make sure you had crashed onto Nektar's back.
"INSECT!" She shouted with a loud and hostile voice.
"Ogre." You said back in a fairly lame attempt at wit as you flipped her head over heels and then piledrived her head into the ground.
Bumblebee was busy spinning around, hammer extended as smashed up robots piled around the tornado of destruction his hammer produced as he rotated his upper torso like a top; somehow managing to carefully aim his solar cannon while rotating as fast as a circular saw. You smiled at the sight, but the Obersts were soon on you, one smashing into the ground like a meteor feet first, the other throwing up a wall of cryogenic rounds from his super-rifle to try and catch you in an icy prison, and the last showering the area in sonic grenades.
The grenades reverberated through you, causing your shields to drain a bit while you ducked underneath the volley of lead. You caught the Oberst's fist with your own hand and spun him around, letting him take Stahlschadel's incoming rocket punch and doubling over in pain.
Energy Count: 07(86)
"You are getting very annoying!" The Cyborg shouted in a bestial voice as his skull like head opened up and let loose a plasma vent of heat towards you.
You pushed through the heat and simply tackled him into the ground, pushing off and grabbing his head to slam him face first into the ground before running forwards in the direction of some of the wheeled tank destroyers the Gesellschaft had brought up to the field. Your suit began to flash cyan and then you erupted in the energy of the speed booster, still dragging the cyborg with you and grinding his faceplate into the ground. The comet of energy you were surrounded by shredded through the armoured vehicles and their retinue like nothing; incoming projectiles vaporising before ever touching you before you stopped suddenly and dumped the speed booster's energy into your suit.
Impressively Stahlschadel's chassis was still functional after his ride, but the Elites who had come to surround you had failed to account for your shinespark as you rocketed backwards away from Stahlschadel before he could recover his bearings. Dust was all that was left of the nazis who had come at you, and only when you deemed nothing else to be in your way did you stop, bringing your blade in a wide arc to decapitate two Unteroffizers harasshing Strongarm as she held back a mob of Panzerhunde.
Nektar had since re-emerged, smashing the wreckage of a vehicle on top of you while you were too busy dodging around laser fire from beam weapon armed elites to get out of the way. She smashed another onto you, detonating its ammo on top of you in a fireball. The plasma munitions cooking off in a brilliant fireball. Stahlschadel arriving to dump missile fire into it along with the Kolibris and the Obersts; explosives raining all around you as Nektar kept on piling more and more wreckage onto you. A barrage that could have given many of Paragon City's very most veteran heroes a stay in the hospital.
Energy Count: 07(68)
You stood up out of the wreckage and dusted yourself off, now quite thoroughly sick of this woman. You cracked your neck and met her next punch with one of your own, your smaller fist colliding with hers and smashing her back right before you extended the power blade and cut into her hand. She let out a snarl of pain before you let the Shock Coil sing.
Energy leeched from her into your suit, drawing energy from her body into your own as her hand regenerated. The neutrinos tore at her atoms, guided by the shock coil's energies into her atomic structure to plink apart nuclei and electron shells in an electric storm of ions. She let out a scream as she felt her body being pulled apart at the subatomic level by the storm of particles, but you kept walking relentlessly; letting everyone else fire as you simply recovered any energy lost.
Energy Count: 07(99)
Universal Ammo Count: 230/240
You stopped, her body smoking and large chunks of it little more than ash as she wavered, stumbling forwards as her drugs tried to regenerate the lost tissue before she fell forwards; trying to regrow her incinerated arms and midsection. You walked towards her calmly, your cannon clicking into super missile mode and then charging up a projectile before releasing it into the midst of the Kolibris; the warhead seeking the middle of the pack before erupting in a brilliant, blinding fireball whose shockwave swatted the remaining aircraft out of the sky.
Super Missile Count: 27/30
You kept walking, those whose organs and bones were reduced by dust by the overpressure wave teleporting out around you as you turned briefly towards Stahlschadel as the Cyborg lashed out at you again; his skull like head a partly self repaired mess of damaged metal. He had thrown a rocket fist at you, you caught it with your hand and glared at him.
"Fall already you worthless degenerate!" He shouted.
"What do you think I am?" You said.
"Does it matter? You are scum in the way of the glory of our racial destiny!" He growled as you twisted his arm and made him fall to a knee.
"My mother was Jewish by blood. You wear the swastika proudly. Forty eight thousand years may have passed; and you're still scum. You can't beat us, so you target civilians. What kind of warriors are you then?" You said coldly, you weren't like Samus. You didn't tend to engage in Samus' cold death glares or fiery ragesunless you had already lost your composure before hand. Your anger was just as disruptive to your normal pattern of thinking, but it was something a more invisible except in the bursts of violence. Coiling electricity building up waiting for something to discharge into or wind about to be riled into a sudden tornado rather than her roiling maelstroms or her continual raging blizzard like furor. Anger could come and go for you as suddenly as the Breeze.
"Juden? Future Juden at that? What's the matter, trying to change the past for your race of k-" You knew what he was going to say and didn't let him finish as you froze the top half of his body with an ice missile. He wasn't going to say anything worth listening to anyway, none of these people were going to say anything you were very interested in listening to.
Missile Count: 152/155
Nektar was about regenerated, you rushed at her; sweeping your blade in an arc to sever her arm at the elbow and then jump over her other swing as she let out a gasp at the sight of her cauterised limb. You grabbed at one of the tubes feeding her drugs and yanked it to sever her connection.
"No!" She shouted as you stabbed her through the chest and shot into her back as her body began to become unstable, letting the shock coil work on her once again until she at last vanished with a the green flash of a mediporter. The cyborg had emerged with the Obersts, grunting and straining to reach towards you as you cracked your neck.
Universal Ammo Count: 226/240
The first oberst tried to get in your reach again, but Bumblebee and Strongarm had eliminated the last of their assistance, so you simply jumped over them and swung your sword down into his head. He disappeared in a flash and your cannon clicked and released a supermissile into the second; not even breaking your stride as he disappeared.
Super Missile Count: 26/30
The last emptied his clip into you, but your shock coil proved the deadlier weapon, and his screams were the last to be heard before he disappeared after Bumblebee shot him in the back with his Solar Cannon.
Universal Ammo Count: 223/240
The cyborg stepped forward, you sidestepped and punched your head into his chest and tore out his power core; ripping back and stepping backwards to let Stahlschadel fall to the ground, lifeless and empty before he too teleported out; leaving damaged components behind as you examined the power core in your hand.
The battlefield was a mess of carnage, but you had come out on top, and with some judicious usage of ice missiles and concentration missile regeneration; you put out the fires started by the fight. You couldn't fix the structural damage with your current tools, but for now the fighting was over.
You looked over the defeated remains of the nazis and collected anything that might be of value before you let yourself be drawn in by the distraction of an Alimbic Artifact nearby in a part of the university's underground exposed by the fighting.
Mostly minor things, but the two parahumans had left behind things of interest.
Minor Upgrades: one Energy tank, three missile expansions, two super missile expansions, one universal ammo expansion, one resilience booster.
Energy 08(99)
Missile Count: 170
Universal Ammo Count: 280
Super Missile Count: 34
Resilience modifier 1 (Take less damage in general)
From Nektar you got about what you expected. The drug wouldn't really have that kind of an effect on your physiology, and you wouldn't want to be shooting yourself up with it anyway even if it did, but the armour could understand how that drug enhanced the user, and synthesised a way to tap into that principle for temporary augmentations for critical moments.
(More in universe desc to come) Allows the armour and zero suit to augment physicality in a massive rush of energy, while this function does draw on a store of Adrenal power that needs to be restocked over time; it does not come with any drawbacks while active. Initial Berserker Booster functionality offers thirty seconds of massively augmented strength and resilience and significantly enhanced speed, and reflexes. Once used, the Berserker Booster will need to recharge. The Berserker Booster will tend to heighten user confidence and aggression not out of chemical effect, but due to the user's bond with the armour and zero suit imbuing them with the same sense of heightened physical power.
Stahlschadel you were surprised to have actually gotten something from given how you weren't particularly impressed with his tinker technology; given that he was a glorified low grade flunkie for the Gesellschaft and the 5th Column. Nevertheless, your armour determined there was something worth extracting from him.
(More in universe desc to come)
Elemental Beam
Derived from 5th Column and Council Technology. Allows for the user to fire a special negative quantum globule of energy that is especially destructive against beings that rely on a transdimensional energy bond to link between a symbiont and a host such as Kheldians, Nictus, and Parahumans. The beam deals extremely enhanced damage against these targets and causes numerous debilitating effects that will take some time for the targets to recover from; slowing them down and weakening them for many seconds. As a negative energy weapon, the Quantum Beam also is effective against any target that lacks resistance or has a special vulnerability to negative energy; but is generally less effectual against those inundated in such energies.
The charged shot fires the Quark Tornado, which explodes into a swirling Maelstrom of negative energy that will persist for some time after impact and wander around the battlefield damaging enemies caught in its path.
Very nice. You're sure Samus would like to get her hands on this too once you have access to your ships again and can share the gear you've acquired with each other.
Now, the Alimbic Artifact was contained in a lab that had clearly seen better days before a Kolibri crashed through an open door, leaving sparking ruins in all directions and more than a few fires that you walked through without trouble. Alimbic statues lacked the humble gift giving posture of Chozo statues, the arrogant knightly warrior holding the relic in one hand like a prize rather than an offering, contemplating its glories with its monocular eye.
Bumblebee and Strongarm dropped down with you, finding more than enough space and looking up at the tall Alimbic statue that towered over them; Bumblebee warbling in surprise once his scanners gave him feedback on just how advanced the thing he was looking at was.
"Primus blessed..." She said as you jumped into the hands of the statue and cracked open the shell of the relic.
Bumblebee asked if you were sure if this was safe.
"These are...sort of my people. I've got...very complicated feelings about them, but I've got a feeling that this was put here for me." You said, sighing as you steeled yourself. The Alimbics had given you as much pain as they had given you love and care. You envied Samus' ability to just...uncomplicatedly love her alien foster culture. You were only here because of their generosity, yet you fear the sight of authority figures raising their hands at you for good reason.
You exhaled and touched the trophy offered to the victor, and your armour recognised the heritage it had claimed and absorbed it in a flash of blue light that prompted you to curl into your alt-mode and then lit up with electricity in all directions, coiling arcs of energy stabbing out of your psycho-sphere as if you were a living tesla coil. The electronics in the room howled and went on the fritz as lightning curled around you, but you unmorphed and stood up, nodding in appreciation for what you were given.
In your alt-mode, release a continual discharge of omni-directional electricity that can be used to power objects, eradicate large numbers of enemies surrounding you, stun and continually damage more powerful enemies, or even be used to magnetize objects or pick-ups to draw them into your alt-mode. The Lightning Sphere has a reserve of energy that will build up rapidly when not in use, but will not recover while being discharged; this reserve can be increased with further upgrades that the user discovers.
"...Okay, I'm jealous now." Strongarm said with a smirk while Bumblebee blurted out with a clip referring to Santa Claus. You didn't quite get it.
"+Samus, is everything alright on your end?+" You asked.
"+Oh hey Arne, yeah, we've cleared out just about everything here.+" She said back.
"+I was thinking, should we meet back up? We can hold position here a little bit while you guys get here. Or we could meet half way.+" She said.
"+Hey, not to interrupt but we're not exactly human sized here. We'd need to find some alternate routes.+" Strongarm said.
"+I kind of want to know what this university is even doing with alien artifacts. Let alone Progenitor ones. How did they get here?+" You said.
"+Oh, you want to do some fact finding?+" She said.
"+I mean...yeah, the logs here might give some hints, and now that the Gesellschaft's troops are scattered we could find some more of their logs.+" You said.
"+Hrm, that's a decent idea, though we are kind of on a timer here. They're probably getting ready to leave after we've trashed a small army's worth of them.+" She said.
"+True...How is your team holding up?+" You asked.
"+Regretting not having armour that can survive a fall from orbit.+" Assault said in what you think was a joke. After all, he did laugh at the end of it. You weren't sure why that was funny, but he did laugh.
"+Well, based on the caliber of opposition here, this is probably their main objective. We should probably move quickly to stop it.+" Battery said with a sigh.
"+Honestly, this is very fun. We should do it more often.+" Irina cut in.
"+She's...like that. You get used to it.+" Strongarm said. You felt like you were missing out on context that you might never get and were not sure whether to be at peace with this.
Choices
[]: Arne's team should rejoin Samus' and move together towards the objective, Samus' team should hold position, only Arne's team will gather clues beyond their immediate area.
[]: Arne and Samus' should meet up half-way; gathering what clues they can on the way.
[]: Arne and Samus' teams should continue to be divided to cover more ground and head to the objective immediately. Clues will be gathered en route.
[]: Arne should split from the Autobots but rejoin Samus' team because he's human sized. Clues will be gathered en route.
[]: Arne should split from the Autobots but rejoin Samus' team who will meet him half-way. Clues will be gathered en route.
[]: Arne should split from the Autobots but go Solo so they can move in three groups.
[]: Write in
