Out Of Ashes (quasi-apocalyptic RWBY quest)

[Dragontrapper]

"Aurelia," you ask over your radio, momentarily ignoring your fellow Huntress, "How would we seal the basement?"

You continue to ignore Olena as she begins swearing, focusing in Aurelia's voice coming in over the radio, "If they're coming in through the utility passages then there should be a Storm Bulkheads."

"Storm what?"

"They seal off the tunnels during heavy storms," Aurelia explains, "Prevents rain runoff from overwhelming the drainage systems. You'll have to by-pass the system locks before you can close them though."

"And also fight off a literal horde of Grimm," Olena points out.

"That too." Aurelia says in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan!" You say with far more cheer then either of your compatriots are exhibiting. Why are they so upset? You haven't had this many fights in a single day in ages. This is great. In great cheer, you take the lead heading out of the computer room, "Follow me Olena."

"Do you even know where you're going?" The silver-haired huntress asks as she falls into step behind you.

"I figure you'll let me know when I make a wrong turn," You reply as you double-check Fire, "Now, lets go kick some ass."

The following silence lasts until you make up back to the second level and turn down a new tunnel, this one dominated by the heavy piping laid out overhead, "So…" you start nonchalantly, still slowly sweeping Fire back and forth, ready blast in the face any hapless Grimm that tries to jump you, "You said you were looking for something, right?"

"...yes," Olena replies slowly, "Why?"

"Just curious, is all," you reply with a shrug, "I'm sure that, whatever it is, it's important. I'm just wondering what could be so important that you'd venture into a warzone for it. It must be something pretty impressive."

Olena is silent for a long moment before she replies, and when she does, her voice is low, "...It really isn't."

You pause at that, glancing back to regard her with a raised eyebrow, "Then why risk your neck like this?"

"Because my family wasn't given a choice!" Olena snaps. There's a long pause as you both regard each other - you continue to regard her with curiosity as she glares at you, her face twisted in grimace of anger and, maybe, a bit of despair. After a moment she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, centering herself before speaking again, "My family's dire straits have left us dependent on certain… benefactors for survival. Such support comes with conditions - including, occasionally, running errands. Our Benefactors want what was left behind in the evacuation."

You blink in surprise as you realize what she means, "You're here to loot the place."

Olena glances away from you with a grimace, "Salvage and reclamation."

"Geez…" you can't help but shake your head as you turn back around and start down the tunnel again, "That sounds like a crap deal."

"...That's it?" Olena asks behind you. You can hear the surprise in her voice, "No accusations?"

Your mind briefly thinks back to your own past, and for a moment your grip on your shotgun tightens, "I'm not really in a position to judge anyone. Lets just go kill some Grimm already."

"...Right," Olena says hesitantly before falling back into step behind you.

After several long minutes, a couple of hastily corrected wrong turns and one painful encounter with a low pipe, you were finally nearing your goal - a chamber that Aurelia said was some sort of pumping room. Just one final turn. But…

"Do you hear that?" Olena asks as you near the last corner.

You pause briefly, but when you do hear it you can't help but grin. You quickly pull your shield free, readying it on your other arm before you increase your pace, "Dibs!"

"What are you- Viveka, no!" Olena shouts but you're already around the corner, a pair of Ursa's looking up in what you can only assume is surprise as you barrel around the corner and aim straight for the nearest one.

It doesn't even have time to react to your charge, barely having time to turn its head before you slam into it shield-first and jam your Shotgun's barrel into its gut. You pause for the briefest of moments, glancing up at its face. You think you see a moment of dawning realization in its expression before your squeeze the trigger and blast a hole the size of its head through its torso.

You quickly turn to face the second Grimm, raising Fire, ready to bury its axe-blade into another hapless foe when-

A series a staccato gunshots reverberating in the tunnel as a volley of rounds slam into the Grimm's head, a tight cluster of miniature detonations on the Ursa's right temple marking their impact before the beast crumples to the ground.

You watch it collapse and begin to evaporate before turning to your left. Just before the corner, Olena is calmly reloading her pistol-sword, regarding you calmly, "Yes?"

"Uh… nice shot?" you say for lack of anything better.

Olena takes the compliment with a small nod as she finishes reloading her weapon and readies it again with a heavy metallic Click, "Thank you. So, shall we?" she nods at toward the other end of the hall, where a pair of heavy metal doors wait for you.

You nod as you turn and start toward the door, "Yes, let's."

You quickly reach the door and are about to simply kick it down when Olena grabs your arm. You turn to her in surprise. "Let's try this one my way, if you don't mind?" she says as she pulls you back and steps past you.

"... I mind a little…" you say, but you make no effort to stop Olena as she slowly pulls one of the doors open a crack and glances into the next room, "I mean, I'm sure I can take on whatever's inside that… Olena?" You trail off as you notice that Olena seems to have tensed up at the door, "Oh, come on - it can't be that bad!" you quickly walk over and, leaning over Olena, glance through the gap in the door as well.

"...oh."

"Yeah," Olena replies, "Oh."

The next room is a massive, open space - or, it would be, if not for the Massive sets of pipes or - further back - heavy machinery that filled the space. Even then, the space between the neat rows of industrial equipment were easily as wide as the tunnels you'd been running around in, and much higher. The roof was a good two stories overhead, the only other structure in the room was a series of catwalks that hung from the ceiling. At the far side of the room, up a short flight of concrete steps, was a large, round, heavy metal hatch in the wall that looked like it was big enough to drive a truck through. The Bulkhead then.

There was also a bunch of Creeps poking around the place, but the little two-legged vermin didn't worry you. The bigger concern were the Ursa's padding around - you could see at least two, and maybe a third up on the catwalks.

And then there was the big guy. "That's a King Taijitu." you say out loud.

"Yes," Olena replies flatly, only a hint of dejection in her voice. "So, we need to get in their, override the Bulkhead Locks, and seal the passage… without getting overrun. Tell me you have a plan for this?"

[ ] Alpha-strike - Team up, work your way through the riff-raff before concentrating on the Taiju
- [ ] Creating Advantage aims - write-in (I.E., High-ground for Shoot bonus, create environment hazards, etc)

[ ] Divide and Conquer - One of you will keep the fodder at bay while the other goes straight for big and ugly. (Who does what?)
- [ ] Creating Advantage aims - write-in (I.E., High-ground for Shoot bonus, create environment hazards, etc)

[ ] Yeah, nope - Too rich for your blood. Time to blow up some tunnels!
[ ] Write-in

You also have to decide how you're going to get the Bulkhead closed. This has three actions: Overriding the system controls (Burglary or a relevant computer-skill), Holding off further Grimm (Craft, Fight or Shoot) and Actually closing the Bulkhead (Physique). Who will do what?
[ ] Tasking assignment (Write-in).


((Olena's Trouble updated - see character sheet. Viveka gains boost 'Friendly'; Olena gains Boost 'On Target'. Current Fight Environment contains multiple Zones; see 'Current Status' for more information. Enemies added to 'Current Status'. New tasking; see 'Current Status' for more information.))

 

[Dragontrapper]

"So... " You say as you jab a thumb toward the roomful of Grimm, "Meat or potatos?"

Olena looks between you and the room in confusion before she realizes what you mean, "I am not fighting that snake!" she hisses at you, voice pitched low.

"Great!" You pat her on the back roughly as you grin, "You take care of the smaller oneswhile I get the Taijitu. Should be easy, right?"

"Three of them are Ursas!" Olena whispered angrily.

You arch an eyebrow, "So, are you saying you can't do it?"

The silver-haired huntress looked away from you with a small huff, "I didn't say that… but just charging in is insane."

You mull that over for a moment before pointing toward the catwalks, "How about you go high, try and pick them off from there?"

Olena seems to consider it for a moment before nodding, "Sounds workable - what about you?"

You grin as you ready Fire and Steel, shotgun-axe loaded and blade gleaming compared to the scratched and scuffed surface of your shield, "I'm just going to charge right in."

Olena just sighs as she double-checks her own blade before unfolding the small shield on her off-arm, "Of course you are. On three?"

"On three," you agree with a nod, "One…"

Next to you, Olena's grip on her weapon tightens, "Two…"

"Three!" The pair of you burst into the room at a sprint as every Grimm turns to look at your entrance. You have just enough time to catch Olena darting off toward the side before you had your own issues to deal with. Specifically, the gaggle of Creeps that charge at you. The small bastards prove to be pretty-much a non-threat, but weaving around them has cost you precious speed.

Stupid bipedal bastards.

Still, nothing for it you think as you clear the Creeps and past the twisting knots of pipes as you beelined for the Big Snake in the back. You let out a bellowing warcry as you leapt at the beast, and the Taijitu barely had time to register your presence before your blade slammed down into the top of its head. The axe bites into the beasts hide before the hammer-blow slams one of the snake's heads into the ground with enough force to crater the concrete.

Up above, you can hear the crack of pistol-fire as Olena tries to get into position. Sounds like she's having trouble with it.

More importantly though, the Taijitu was still moving despite you having introduced one of it's head's into the floor. That one was still dazed from the looks of it. Unfortunately, the one at the other end was just pissed. With a hiss, the Taijitu charges at you, and you deftly dodge - but the miss doesn't seem to matter to the snake as it continues to ramage around the space, the sound of tearing metal mixing with the heavy crashes of machinery being slammed into the floor as what had been neat rows of heavy machinery was now a mess of runaway mechanics and spewing steam.

You dodge past one of the errant systems - some sort of pump arm now swinging wildy - to face down the Taijitu again - only for the form of an Ursa to crash into the ground before you with a yelp, bounce once, and be promptly reduced to shreds by the machinery. Even the Taijitu pauses in surprise as you glance upward, a surprised Olena returning your look before simply shrugging and turning to deal with a charging Creep.

Two more of the little bastards try to get to you, but their bosses little tantrum proves to be their undoing as a rogue piston turns them into short-lived paste.

You fare much better, armor and shield letting you shrug off whatever piece of rampaging engineering slams into you as you circle around the Taijitu. Lets see them laugh at your armor now!

Your offensive goes less well though, Fire's blade glancing off the thick scales of the Taijitu's hide even as you force the overgrown snake back. You grin savagely as you press the attack as an explosion echoes from overhead, but you can't afford to pay it any mind as the Taijitu charges through the rampaging machines, ignoring the blows to its body as it lunges forward to try and bite you in half. You manage to stop it with your shield - just. The ethereal flare of your aura highlights the beast's fangs in the dim light. The Ursa that tries to join in on the fun has about as much success - less so, actually, given it actually took a failing pressure assembly to the chest only to have its claw swipe dance off your axe-blade as you block. You push both back just enough to get some breathing room as you shout, "Olena! What happened to my cover?"

"A little busy!" A slightly panicked, mostly annoyed, shout replies from overhead. Fine then - you'll do it yourself.

You weave through the cacophony of machinery as it continues to tear itself apart, flying bolts and shrapnel pinging off your armor as you charge your foe. In its defence, it fights back valiantly, both heads lashing out at you to try and knock you back - but you are on a roll, and it'll take more than that to slow you down. The first head goes down with a double-tap blast from your shotgun straight through the roof of its mouth as it lunges at you, and the second goes down as you leap over the still collapsing head to drive your axe into its skull, splitting it open.

You take a moment to catch your breath… before turning on your feet to catch the Ursa lunging at you. Unfortunately for it, the lunge leaves it flying straight into your raised blade.

You survey your surroundings slowly as Olena leaps down to join you on the main floor, "That did not go as planned."

You shrug, finally letting your shoulders relax a little, "Close enough - what happened to my cover?"

"I got jumped by Ursa!" Olena shot back, "Plural! As in more than one!"

"Oh, come on," you reply, "How hard could-" You're cut off by an echoing howl that carries from the still-open passageway at the rear of the room.

"...We should probably close that now." Olena says after a moment.

"Agreed," You say with a nod as you point across the room, "Try and block the path while I get the Door."

"What about the lock?" Olena replies as she dodges through the machinery. The malfunctioning equipment seems to finally be slowing down, but its still got enough oomph left to pack a wallop, "Aurelia said there was a control system."

"Barricade first, lock after!" You shout back as you reach the bulkhead. It's a massive piece, a giant round hatch twice as wide across as you are tall. Large hydraulic pistons are attached to it near the hatch on the outside, and on the inside…

You blink as you watch Olena toss iridescent orb after iridescent orb around the interior frame, spikes of ice forming with every impact as slowly a criss-cross mesh of ice closes off the passage. "Huh," you say, "Nice trick."

"Compliment me later!" Olena shouts back as she bolts over to the controls, taking one look at the interface before crouching down and prying off a panel and starts picking through wires, "I'm going to try and depower the hydraulic lock on the actuation system-"

"What?" you reply.

"Just get ready to push!" Olena quickly yells back as she starts ripping out wires. Well, nothing else to it then. You give your shoulders one final roll before leaning against the massive door and pushing.

At first, nothing happens. The door just sits there as immobile as a damn wall but you keep pushing.

And then, suddenly, an ear-piercing hiss fills the room before the door finally starts moving. You quickly through your weight against the massive hatch as it slowly begins to swing shut. On the other side of it, you can hear the ice beginning to crack under the onslaught of the who-knows how many Grimm… "Come on, come on…" you mutter as the gap between door and wall gradually grows smaller and smaller…

Finally, with a deep, rumbling crash the door slams shut, "Woot!" you shout, pumping your hands in the air, "Take that, you stupid-" your cheering is cut off as the door jolts open slightly as the Grimm pound into it, and you quickly leap to push it back. "Olena!" you shout.

"Just give me a second!" she shouts as she leaps over the control console and toward the doors locking system, grabbing a heavy-duty hose leading up above it with both hands and giving it a heave.

Hydraulic fluid sprays out of the cylinder and an instant later a metal cylinder thicker than your arms slams down through the lock on the door and into the anchor point on the floor. Both you and Olena take a few quick steps back from the door. It shudders once, twice, under the onslaught of Grimm - but it holds.

You both slump to the ground with sighs of relief onto the broad concrete steps, your eyes scanning over the machinery as it finally winds down to a gradual stop. "Well…" you say after a moment, glancing at Olena to your side, "... you look like crap."

Olena gives an annoyed snort, "You left me to fight most of the Grimm, what do you expect?" she leans back with a relieved groan, "Gods, that sucked. Tell me you guys have food?"

You frown, thinking it over for a moment, "I… think so?"

"Good," Olena says with a nod as she stands up and stretches, "Then let's get out of here before anything else tries to kill us."

Well, you can't argue with that.

((You'll be having some down time before you have to go chasing after Glynda - so, what are you going to do next?))

PICK TWO:
[ ] Write-in
[ ] Talk to Aurelia (Write-in topics; you'll be talking to her about the next mission regardless)
[ ] Talk to Olena (Write-in Topics)
[ ] Scavenge around the Center, see what you can find (Investigate rolls)
[ ] Work on your gear (Crafts rolls)
[ ] Survey the surroundings (From a distance) (Notice rolls)

 

[Dragontrapper]

((Currently Unbeta'd because my editor is busy playing Bannerlord...))

You and Olena stagger back into the administrative offices with a groan, Aurelia looking up at you with a quirked eyebrow as she sips at a mug of coffee. "Long day?" Olena replies by flopping face-down onto the nearest couch with a groan, her only reply muffled by the cushions. Aurelia walks over to the couch before extending a hand, "Aurelia Armas."

Olena turns just enough to take the hand and speak properly, "Olena Domovoy. A pleasure."

"Now that we're all introduced," you say as you begin to raid the refrigerator, picking through the contents and pulling out whatever still looks edible - mostly sausages and some hard cheese along with a couple jars of preserve. You ignore the preserves for a moment as you begin to cobble together a snack platter for yourself as you talk, "What's next?"

"We need to go after Goodwtich's last location," Aurelia replies as she takes a seat at one of the smaller tables, "The longer we wait, the more likely it is that she'll move."

"Trust me," Olena speaks up from her spot splayed out on the couch, "You don't want to be going out there blind," she jabs a thumb back toward the door you can in through, "You think that was bad? The entire city is like that."

Aurelia gives a small huff at that, "I can assure you that our operations have been monitoring the city quite closely so-"

"The city you can't fly over?" Olena replies, "I'm sure you've got the just of the situation - who's where and the like - but that doesn't tell you much about what you're walking into."

"Well, we're closer now," you say as you shove a chunk of cheese into your mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing, "Could just head up onto the roof and take a look around."

Olena looks like she's about to say something else, but just sighs and collapses back into the couch, waving vaguely at you, "Better than nothing - have fun."

You finish off your impromptu meal before heading toward the door, but as you move Aurelia speaks up, "By the way - if you see anything edible, feel free to grab it. I don't think any of us want to starve in here."

"Got it," you reply with a languid wave as you head back out into the Cultural Center.

Now, without the threat of Grimm hanging over the place, the center was eerily quiet. Dim sunlight poured through skylights into the vast empty spaces. It hadn't been abandoned long - not long enough for nature to reclaim anything. Floors were still mostly clean, little display stands with pamphlets still stocked and waiting at corners.

And Vending machines still stocked, you think as you smash through the front display of one machine you walk by, raiding it for a good chunk of its contents. You hoped the others liked jerky and sweet rolls.

It takes you a minute to find a way up to the roof, but fortunately it's lock is more for keeping people from getting in then out. You pull back the heavy bolt and step out into the afternoon sun.

Plumes of smoke drift skyward from block after burning block, and on the air the cries and roars of a myriad forms of Grimm echo. You slowly make your way over to the edge of the building and look out over what's left of the city of Vale.

Off to the north you can see what used to be fine manors and high-end shops - now most of them are burned or burning, but when you squint you can just make out something rushing through one of the larger roads cutting through the district. It looked like… water? Some sort of water main rupture maybe. The bigger worry for you is the occasional crack of gunfire and flash of a dust detonation carrying from that direction.

Similar sounds and lights are coming from the blocks closer to your little base. The rapid-fire staccato of heavy fully-automatic fire from in about the shops makes you think you're going to be having robot problems for a while to come. Joy.

Further south, the residential district is on fire and looks to have taken the brunt of the attack on the city, outside Beacon itself. You can see several buildings listing in ways you are fairly sure buildings aren't supposed to and as you watch one of the shorter ones collapses on itself. Past it, you can just make out Beacon proper, and there are definitely things moving about the campus. Some of them large.

Compared to that, the Industrial District is positively boring - just a bunch of warehouses and concrete piers with Grimm prowling about them.

You stare out across the city as you thumb your radio, "Aurelia, where did you say Glynda was again?"

"An Upper Class Residential area to the north," Aurelia replies, "Why?"

"That entire area is flooded," you reply, "You sure she's there?"

"It's where the message triangulation pinpointed the origin to," Aurelia says, "It's the best we've got."

You sigh as you turn away from the edge and head back to the door, "Alright... " Whatever else you were going to say is cut off by a massive yawn.

"When was the last time you slept?"

"Don't remember," You reply as you make your way back downstairs, "Still need to find some food."

"It can wait," Aurelia assures you, "Get back to base and get some rest."

You debate arguing, but end up deciding against it, "Fine…"

When you awake the next morning, you find Olena already up, strapping her shield to her arm and large bag slung over one shoulder, "Going somewhere?"

"Miss Armas said yesterday we needed food," Olena replies as she finishes adjusting her equipment, "And I'm quickly growing bored of sitting in here. So I figured I'd make myself useful."

"Oh, cool - we can go together," you say as you roll off the couch and stretch. After spending so long in full-armor, some time out of it was nice. You really had needed that down time. As you go through your morning stretches, you notice Olena staring at you, "...yes?"

She blinks owlishly before quickly turning away, "Nothing… just trying to figure out where you put all of those sweet rolls you had for dinner."

"I only had five!" you shoot back before picking your armor up from the corner you dropped it in. It's scuffed and scratched, but in otherwise good shape, "So…" you say as you pull your armor on, "You looking for anything besides food?"

"Maybe some spare equipment," Olena says with a shrug, "why?"

It was your turn to shrug, "You mentioned yesterday that you were looking for something. Thought I might help if it was here."

"If only it was that easy…" Olena says with a sigh before shaking her head, "Come on," she says as she scoops up her blade and heads toward the door, "We've got work to do."

The hallways this morning are much like they were yesterday - creepy silent, dimly lit, and mostly pristine. The two of you systematically move from room to room, anything of use going into a bag or pocket before you move on, "So…" you say as the two of you dig through what looked like a supply office. You pull open drawers and cabinets, digging through piles of paper and pens. You do manage to find a box of instant coffee at least, "...What are you looking for, anyhow?"

Silence from Olena for a moment, only the sound of shifting boxes coming from across the room, before she sighs and begins to speak, "My family has a debt, and I pay that back by retrieving things. This time He sent me into Vale to see what was left behind. Usually he either just points me in a direction or wants something in particular, but this time…"

"This time was different?" you finish for her, as you glance across the room.

Olena nods as she pauses briefly, a box of energy bars half-way between a desk drawer and her bag, "This time he made a few suggestions - the Cultural Center's basement, the Beacon Armory… and the home vault of an 'old friend'."

You raise your eyebrow at that, "He say what he was after in any of those?"

"For the first two?" Olena says, "The usual - 'get inside, and take anything of value'. The house though…" she frowns as she thinks about it, "It was more like a little addition, the way he said it. Said that his friend had something personal in the vault, and he'd 'appreciate it' if I could get it for him."

"That sounds…" you think about your wording for a moment before settling on, "Really fucking sketchy."

"Everything about my life these days sounds sketchy," Olena says with a shrug, "What else is new?"

"Well, whatever it is must be valuable to him, if he wants you to go into Vale for it, right?" You suggest, "Might be just what you need."

"...Maybe," Olena says after a long moment, "Come on - we've got more rooms to check."

You're sweep ends up being impressively productive - you find plenty of (still-edible) food, albeit mostly of the junk variety, along with a variety of blankets and pillows to make your current bedding situation more comfortable. The real boon was when Olena found a room marked 'Security Annex' - the door was locked and not on Aurelia's system, but a shotgun slug fixed the access problem quite nicely. Inside you found what looked like the supply room for some EMTs - bandages, painkillers, gauze, gloves, Defibulators, boxes of medications - they even had some of those portable O2 tanks with the little mask.

But what got you excited was the Heavy-duty crate sitting in the back. You unlatched the heavy fasteners for the lid and pried it open to find boxes and boxes weapon components - alloy plates, micro-actuators, receiver and firing mechanism assemblies, and more. There were also more colorful boxes - cases of dust in a variety of fun types, both pre-made ammunition forms and the more versatile powder form. "Score!" You announce as you look around for anything else. On the nearby shelves are a couple of tool kits, and a quick look confirms their weaponsmithing kits. You hold one up for Olena to see, "I'm not complaining, but why is this here?"

Olena shrugs, "Delivery mix up? Security plans for a future event? Part of a display plan? Who knows. The real question is…" she gestures widely as the contents of the room, "...How are we getting all of this back to base?"

You blink as you look around, "Uh…"

It ends up taking you many, many trips, but after a few hours you have all the loot back to base.

Also, you are exhausted.

"Good haul," Aurelia says with an appreciative hum as she pokes through the boxes, "I got some preliminary work done while you were gone, working out approaches on the signal site. Want to take a look?"

You really don't, but might as well get this over with. You hold a hand out, "Lay it on me."

She drops a display slate into your hand and you take a look over your options. "Straight up the main road?" you ask, "That looked flooded when I was on the roof yesterday."

"Yes, but it remains the most direct route to the target," Aurelia replies, "Of course, option two has you circle around. Longer, but more discrete."

"Is there an option three?" Olena asks, sounding unenthused by options one and two.

"Rooftops," Aurelia explains, "Very fast, but highly visible. Plenty of mobility though so low chance of being cornered by anything."

Olena groans as she collapses onto a nearby couch, "These all sound like good ways to get ourselves killed."

[ ] Make your way up the flooded main street. Footing will be tricky for you, but it'll also be tricky for anyone else.
[ ] Any strategy notes?
[ ] Stick to the back alleys and side-roads and swing around. Much more subtle, but also longer.
[ ] Any strategy notes?
[ ] Roofhopping! Fast, flashy, and flexible. Somebody will definitely spot you, but at least you can move around.
[ ] Any strategy notes?
[ ] Write-in

[ ] Any preparations? (Weapons work, talks, etc.)

(A/N: 'High-Grade Hunting Equipment' Aspect added to Cultural Center; Can now use Create Advantage while at Center to Craft bonuses for weapons and gear.)

 

[Dragontrapper]

Okay - time for the dice rolls. first is the crafting. Going to roll it as a team activity, so its +4 from Olena's Craft plus 1 since Viveka has Craft. DC is +3. Rolling two times, one for each weapon.

Roll 1: -, +, +, 0 = +1. +5 = +6

Success w/ Style. Aspect created w/ 2 free invokes.

Roll 2: -, +, +, - = 0. +5 = +5

Success. Aspect created w/ 1 Free invoke.

Now for your transit. Again, rolling as a group as you try to be subtle since neither of you anything in stealth. Since you're taking the long route, you get to roll four times, but the White Fang in the area have a notice penalty.

Roll 1:
+, +, -, 0. = +1.

Vs.

0, 0, 0, + = +1. -2 = 0

+1 > 0; success

Roll 2:

-. -, -, 0 = -3

vs.

+, +, +, + = +4. -2 = +2

Yup; they noticed you. Shooters are some distance away.

Shoot (+1) against each of you; roll Athletics (+3 Viveka, +2 Olena)

Shooter 1: +, -, -, - = -2. +1 = -1

vs. Viveka: -, -, +, - = -2. +3 = +1

Viveka dodges.


Shooter 2: 0, 0, +, - = -1. +1 = 0

vs. Olena: +, 0, -, - = -1. +2 = +1

Olena dodges.

Going to pause the dice here and delay the update to ask this: Do you guys want to A) Keep trying to be sneaky? (Enemies have increased notice, you will be using Melee only, still need to roll 3 stealth rolls to reach target) Or B) Go loud? (No limit on ranged attack use, faster, but they WILL know where you are.)

(CHOOSE ONE)

[ ] Keep sneaking
[ ] Go Loud
[ ] Write-in (in case I missed something obvious.)

 

[Dragontrapper]

The sky was overcast, but it wasn't due to the weather.

Plumes of smoke rise from the slowly burning buildings of what had once been the most exclusive district of Vale. Luxury apartment buildings, expensive shops and every manner of posh entertainment went on for blocks as the blocks weaved over and around a smattering of hills and the manors that sat atop them.

One of those manors was your current target, but the current state of things is making that decidedly difficult.

"Why is there so much water?" Olena asks as the pair of you try your best to quietly sneak through the back alleys, tucked out of view of the main road - probably to keep deliveries and the like out of sight of the wealthy clientele, you guessed. You doubt the stores were very nice any more though, given the amount of water on the ground. Even though it hadn't rained properly in days the impromptu creek winding down the alley was what you'd expect after a typhoon. The main avenue had been even worse - less a flood and more of a river, indudating shops and lapping against the doors of abandoned cars.

"Water main rupture, I think," You reply as you carefully pick your way between spots of relatively dry land, "Must have been a big one if its like this."

"Or several," Olena replies, "All those manors probably have-" She stops suddenly, holding a hand up and you freeze at the signal. Slowly, she moves further along the alley, hugging the wall as she approaches a corner. As quietly as you can you move up behind the silver-haired huntress, Fire ready and loaded in your grip. Steel is still strapped to your back, out of the way but ready at a moment's notice.

After a few silent moments, Olena lets out a sigh of relief as she relaxes, "We're clear."

You nod as you lower your shotgun-axe, "Another patrol?"

"Two of them," Olena says with a nod before glancing at you, "You know, I'm sort of surprised you went for the stealthy approach."

"What? I can be stealthy!" You reply defensively, "I can totally be stealthy!"

"You run around in plate armor, your main weapon is a shotgun and I've seen you punch a Taijitu in the face," Olena replies, "You could have fooled me."

You give a small huff of annoyance as you stride past her and push further down the alley, "Come on - we've still got four blocks until we get to the manor."

"Oh come on," Olena says as she moves to catch up with you. You can't see it, but you can tell just by her voice that she's rolling her eyes. Probably, "You know I was just joking…" there was a long pause, "...mostly."

"You're not any better at sneaking then I am!" you shoot back, jabbing a finger in her direction, "At least I don't claim to be some high-end burglar!"

"Thief, not burglar," Olena corrects you, "I prefer to talk my way past obstacles. People are almost always the weakest link in a system."

"I find things generally go well enough if you hit them hard enough," you say with a shrug. At Olena's look, you quickly add, "Hey! If you hit somebody hard enough they can't raise an alarm!"

"I'm not sure that counts as-" Olena is cut off as a bullet pings off the asphalt by her feet, bits of stone splashing into the water as the both of you duck behind nearby dumpsters. "Crap! So much for stealth!"

"Well, they just know where we are, right?" you reply back with a strained smile as a round pings off your improvised cover, "Maybe we can still sneak away?"

"To where?!" Olena says incredulously, "We're stuck in an alley being shot at!"

Good point… You peer around for a long moment before pointing to a side alley, "That way - we can swing around them… hopefully."

"And if they spot us?" Olena asks.

You reply with a shrug, "Then we shoot them. Just stay low and try to be small."

"Try and be small, she says…" Olena mutters as she turns around, crouching low by the wall as she carefully makes her way to the corner. You watch her go before eying the far end of the alley. You're would-be attackers are ducked behind corners of their own, leaning out periodically to take pot shots in your direction. They're probably expecting you to try and rush them or something.

Well, looks like you'll have to disappoint them.

You watch them carefully, waiting until they duck into cover before darting across the alley and holding for a moment. When they start shooting again, bullets ping off your new cover - and your old cover as well. With a grin, you carefully sneak after Olena.

Around the corner, the other huntress is waiting for you, a look of surprise on her face as she glances back in the direction of the continuing gunfire, "Huh - I'm surprised that worked."

"See?" you say quietly as you give her a hearty slap on the back, "Always trust me on this sort of thing."

With an annoyed grumble, she follows after you as the pair of you press onward.

Fortunately, the rest of the mooks are not nearly as attentive as that first pair. Or maybe the two of you had just needed the time to get into the rhythm of the whole sneaking thing. Either way, nobody else managed to spot you as the two of you sneaked your way through block after block and slipping past White Fang troops left none the wiser.

The chance to pass closer to them gave you a chance to get a good look at them, and they did not look good. Armor was chipped and marred, weaponry worn, uniforms stained and torn when they were even wearing it. The only thing that left some of them identifiable as White Fang were the ever-present Grimm masks, and even those were in rough shape; chipped and often cracked.

"Damn, these guys look like they've been through the wringer," Olena mentions as you pass one final patrol and pass into sight of the manor proper. The place had seen better days, much like the rest of the neighborhood. One of the wings was partially collapsed, and a landslide had taken out part of the perimeter fence.

"Well, they're stuck in this city along with a crap ton of Grimm," you reply as you climb over the ruined section of fence and into the compound proper, "I doubt you'd look too hot either."

"Still, why not just leave?" Olena asks as you both pad your way up to the compound, angling for the collapsed section to find your way in, "Also, comms tower." Olena says as she points past you.

You follow where she's pointing to see a thin latticework tower standing atop the manor's main wing, several smaller microwave antennas arranged around it and a single large parabolic dish at the stop, pointed toward the south. "Alright, likely puts the comms room in the attic. In we go."

After the noise of the alleys, the interior of the manor was… eerily silent. Beyond some broken windows and a layer of dust, most of the place was in perfect condition. The only major damage was around the collapsed wing - based on the charring, a fire had started in the kitchen. Not sure how that led to the landslide though. Maybe a gas explosion? Not really your field.

The strange part was that it was...empty. Despite all the White Fang you passed on the way in, you'd not seen hide or hair of them on the inside. It was a mostly intact structure and not bad, defense wise. Why would they not be inside…?

"Figure it out later," Olena interrupts your thoughts as she points down the hall. A fold-down ladder is there, reaching up into the attic, "We're here."

"Alright then," You say as you tuck your shotgun behind your back, "I guess I'll go first."

"That would be preferable," Olena says with a nod as you start up into the attic. Inside, it's a dark, cramp space, lit only by the sun coming in through a window at the far end. The roof is heavily tilted, though almost all of it is hidden behind racks of gear and bundles of cable. It looks more like a server room then a communications center. You stick your head back down into the hall, "It's clear. Come on up."

Olena is up in the attic with you a moment later, poking at the equipment with more apparent familiarity than you before biting out a swear, "Something wrong?" You ask.

"This isn't a transmission station," Olena replies as she fiddles with an equipment rack, "It's more like a… relay. I'm guessing the rich guy who owned this place was either spying on data feeds or needed to range-boost his own transmissions without using the CCT."

"Meaning…?" You ask.

"Meaning Goodwitch isn't here," she says back with a sigh as she fiddles with her radio, "I'll talk to Aurelia, see if I can trace the transmission further back…"

You take a step back, giving her room to work as a sudden groan echoes from somewhere behind what you thought was a wall of cabling. Both you and Olena freeze before the other huntress leans toward you, "I thought you said it was clear!" she whispers harshly.

"I didn't even realize there was room back there!" you whisper back. Any further conversation is cut off as the cabling is parted and out steps… Not a White Fang member. Instead you're confronted with...

[ ] A woman with a really nice Hat.
[ ] Hair a shade of White you usually only see on a Schnee.
[ ] Somebody cute and surprisingly well armed.

 

[Dragontrapper]

The figure that stumbled out from behind the cables and wires was… not what you were expecting. You'd been expecting a Grimm, or a White Fang goon, or even some sort of grizzled survivor.

Not an adorable mop of tan hair.

A large, heavy duty battle rifle was strapped to her chest, and on the small girl it looked even larger. The puffy, slightly oversized combat coat only made her look smaller. Said coat was festooned with straps and pockets, several of them filled near to bursting with… something. A flash of fur the same color as her hair flicks out from under her coat before vanishing back underneath its folds. She blearily rubbed at her eyes before looking up and freezing as she saw you and Olena. "...Gah!" the girl cries out in surprise as she stumbles backward into a rack of equipment before falling onto her rear with a thud.

You put on your best friendly smile. "Hi there sweetie! I'm Viveka and this is Olena. Who are you?"

The girl quickly became an impressive shade of red, but she managed to eventually squeak out a reply. "T-Tawny."

"Well, Tawny," you say as Olena steps closer, kneeling down in front of the girl as her eyes sweep over her and her gear. The sudden attention seems to make Tawny nervous as you continue, "How'd you end up in here?"

"H-hiding," Tawny stammers out, her wide eyes still locked on Olena as the silver-haired huntress gently runs a finger over her rifle.

"This rifle is in serious need of a refit," she says as her attention turns to Tawny's face, "How long have you been out here, dear?'

"Um...uh…" Tawny nervously scoots further back, her stare locking on to a spot of the ceiling off to the side, "A week? Maybe two? It all sort of blends together…"

"Oh, you poor thing," you coo as you sweep the girl into a hug, "Well, don't worry! Viveka won't let anything else hurt you anymore, okay?" Tawny replied with just a long squeak.

Olena simply stood up, dusting off her skirt as she spoke, "You've been her for over a week? What about the White Fang?"

"They stopped coming up after a while…" Tawny replied in a daze.

"Wait, what?" You let her out of your grasp as you step back far enough to look at the girl, "Why would they stop?"

Tawny is still dazed as she replies, "I sort of took out their patrol… hit the gas main."

Olena blinks owlishly, "Nice shot."

Tawny finally snaps out of her daze, curling in on herself a little as she replies, "I had been aiming for their feet…"

"...Oh," Olena replies, "Terrible shot then."

"Hey!" You reply, pulling Tawny back into a hug, "Don't be mean to Tawny!"

"You just met her," Olena replies in exasperation.

"Yes," you reply with a nod, "And if anything were to happen to her I'd-" your threat is cut off as a heavy crash sounds from somewhere below you, "...What was that?"

"My guess?" Olena replied as she moved toward the ladder to look down, "White Fang." In reply, a burst of gunfire came up from the ladderwell, forcing Olena back as it bit into the rafters. With a curse, Olena quickly conjured a small ball of dust before dropping it down below and slamming the ladderwell door shut. A second later, there was a muffled explosion from below.

"Shit," You say as you dash over to the window, carefully pulling back a thread-worn curtain to look outside. Down on the lawn below, at least a dozen White Fang were closing in on the manor. You were willing to guess that a good few were already inside, "So, guess we weren't that stealthy…"

"Honestly surprised it took them this long," Olena says with a shrug as she starts poking around the flooring, "Good news - the floor is reinforced so they probably can't just shoot us through it. Bad news is that it limits our exit plans," she turns to the new girl, who's currently clutching her rifle close, eyes dancing around, "Tawny, are there any other ways down or out?"

Tawny blinks owlishly, "Ah, um… Maybe? There's a chimney on the eastern side that might be useful, and some of the windows open out onto the roofs…"

"Or we could take the ladder," You suggest. When both girls just stare at you, you shrug, "What? It would work. Probably."

"Um…" Tawny turns to Olena, "Are her ideas always this bad?"

"Hey!"

Olena shrugs, "Yes and no. They always sound crazy, but they do work sometimes."

Another collection of heavy crashes comes from below before suddenly the ladderwell door starts to lift. With a curse, you jump on top of it, slamming it down on some poor bastards fingers.

You find the resulting screams of agony oddly satisfying. The others seem less enthused, but that might just be because of the resultant blood spray and collection of fingertips now laying on the floor. "Okay, plan time then," You say as you turn to the other two, "Because I really don't want to be around when they decide to break out the heavy artillery."

Tawny and Olena look at each other for a moment, before turning to you.

"We take a window out, get outside where we can flank them. Then we can either thin them out or cut and run." Olena suggested.

"The chimney and surrounding walls aren't as reinforced," Tawny says meekly, "We can use that to sneak down into the manor. Then we won't be cornered and can find a way out."

Or you could just head straight down. Decisions, decisions.

[ ] Escape out the window. Room to maneuver, easier to cut and run, but you have as much of a chance to get surrounded as to flank them.
[ ] Back the way you came. Screw it - Punch and shoot your way through the bastards. Simple, straightforward, but going to be a lot of fighting.
[ ] Sneak down. Using the subspaces of the old manor as impromptu passages, get downstairs and either sneak or fight your way out.

(A/N: Sorry it's short.))

 

[Dragontrapper]

You make a snap decision as more bangs echo from below. "Fuck it - everyone out the window! Move, move move!" You shouts as you quickly move across the room. You debate just smashing the window before deciding that you still want to at least try and be sneaky, so instead you opt to simply push the window open, propping it up with its little support bar before clamoring through.

You were momentarily glad that it hadn't been one of the sliding sorts; you weren't sure if you'd have fit. Still, it was a tight fit between your shield and armor. That's all it was. yup.

Olena and Tawny, naturally, have no problem slipping through the window - Olena with all the grace of a cat, and Tawny with the rushed, haphazard, motions of somebody who'd never snuck out at night as a kid.

Once out on the roof, you could finally get an idea of just what was coming for you. It wasn't good. A few dozen of the White Fang mooks were swarming around the manor just on the side of the place you could see, all of them converging on the manor itself as fast as they could. "So," you suggest, "Think we should just start taking shots at them now?"

Olena rolls her eyes, "And draw their attention? I'd rather not. Let's at least get into some cover first." You give her a nod before you start to move across the roof in a low crouch, Olena a step behind you and Tawny following just behind her like a particularly well-armed lost puppy. The manor roof is a menagerie of chimneys and parapets as you work your way around the edge, ducking behind brickwork and generally keeping something between you and the view of anyone below as you go.

You've almost reached a promising spot - a lower section of sloped roof leading up to one of the attic windows - when a heavy thunk from ahead sends the three of you ducking for cover.

Well, two of you ducking for cover. You have to grab Tawny and drag her down as she momentarily panics, but she calms down just as the source of the noise reveals itself.

With a grunt, one of the White Fang soldiers pulls himself up over the edge and onto the roof. He takes a minute to catch his breath before shouldering his rifle and sweeping the rooftop, slowly pacing across the sloped surface. 'Don't come this way, don't come this way..' you think to yourself as he slowly draws closer… before seeming to notice the window above him. Deciding that was the better target, he slung his rifle behind him and started climbing up the tiled roof toward the window.

Olena scoots closer to you, still keeping an eye on the soldier, "Okay, he's distracted. Lets go."

The three of you pad your way across the roof, aiming to head down the way he'd come up, but half-way across you pause, watching the soldier struggle to clamor up the slick tiles. "Viveka, lets go!" she hisses in a harsh whisper.

In reply, you unsling your axe from your back. Olena groans, "Viveka, no," she whispers.

"Viveka yes," you reply back as a vicious grin spreads across your face.

The sound of an entire brigade of White Fang tearing the house apart below your feet along with your would-be prey's own slip-falls and swearing cover any sound of your approach until it's too late.

"What the-" is all the soldier manages before you finish hooking your axe around his ankle and pull, slamming his head into the roof with a loud crack of breaking tile and possibly skull. You climb over the prone form, leaning down to examine him with a frown. When he groans weakly, you grab him by the back of the head and slam it into the tiling again. This time he doesn't move.

With a satisfied nod, you step over the body, smirking at the other two, "See? No problem."

It was just as you finish saying that that the body starts sliding down the roof. "Viveka!" Tawny's warning comes too late though, as before you finish twisting around the body has slipped out of arm's reach and over the edge of the roof.

There is a moment of blessed silence before the body crashes into the ground below with the sound of breaking wood. You must have managed to take out a gardening shed or something with the body. Neat.

There is a second lull in the noise as seemingly everyone in, on, and around the manor pause to try and figure out how, exactly, to respond to this new development.

Somewhere in the manor's yard, a branch breaks.

"Time to go!" you shout as you dive toward the edge of the roof, not bothering with the trellis mounted to the wall as you simply fall to the ground, landing after a four-story fall with a flare of your aura and a roll, two more heavy thumps behind you as your companions follow suit. The three of you are already half-way across the main garden before the bullets start biting into the dirt around you. Olena and Tawny are forced to duck behind a pair of over-sized stone vases as you opt for a more expedient solution. With a single smooth motion, you swing your shield around and plant it in front of you, rounds pinging harmlessly off it as you give Fire a perfunctory check-over before aiming over Steel and, after taking quick aim, squeeze the trigger.

The White Fang grunt who had been closing on you drops in a burst of fire and smoke, dust-enhanced shells meant for dropping Grimm meeting relatively mundane flesh and finding it wanting.

Bastards didn't even have auras.

You cycle another shell and fire again, and another explosion takes out two more at the knees. A half-second later, the steady crack of Olena's sword-pistol joins the fray along with the rapid-fire bark that must have been Tawny's piece. The few mooks still rushing your position wisely ducked beyond some stonework for cover. Didn't stop you from pumping a few shells into the waist-high walls. You smirked as two goons had to reposition a few yards back into new cover as your rounds chewed through the cover.

Satisfied that your would-be killers were properly chastised, you took a quick look behind yourself. Another stretch of greenery and flowers extended back until the ground steeply sloped down. "Olena!" you shout, "Down the hill! Tawny, keep them down!" Orders issued, you turn back toward the manor and, with one final shot, pull your shield free of the earth and start slowly pacing back. Any time one of the dumb bastards tries to poke out of cover, you chastise them with a burst of dust-infused shot. A few don't duck back fast enough - the screams of pain as you maim legs from afar is music to your ears.

"Clear!" You hear Olena shout, and you take the risk and glance back just in time to see Olena's hair flying behind her like a silvery banner as she vanishes down the slope.

"Alright Tawny!" You shout, "Your turn!"

"Um, but what about-" Tawny starts to argue, but you cut her off as you take another shot at a presumptuous goon.

"Move girl!" You shout, and that seems enough to jolt her into action, the small brunette quickly turning and dashing across the clearing. For her part, she still tries to help you out, hip-firing as she moves, spraying down anyone trying to approach on your left flank as you continue to move backwards.

You make it as far as Olena's old cover before you hear a slightly-panicked 'clear!' from behind you. Well then - your turn. You take one final pot shot in the general direction of the White Fang before you turn and dash for the slope's edge.

By the time any of them think to peak over and start opening fire, you're already within reach of your goal. You drop into a slide, one arm still holding your shield behind you, as bullets kick up dirt and mud around you. With a final splash of dirt and mud, you vanish over the edge and down the hill.

You slide about half-way down before slowing down enough for you get your feet back under you, smoothly shifting into a run as you beeline toward the fence, Tawny and Olena just ahead of you. Tawny starts to slow down as you near the wrought-iron construction. "How are we-AAAAH!" she doesn't get to finish her question as you grab her by the back of her jacket and toss her over the fence. Olena manages a far more elegant leap with a kick from her weapon, though both manage to stick their landings - albeit roughly, in Tawny's case.

You, for your part, simply kick off the ground as you near the bottom, sending yourself arcing through the air before landing on the road beyond in another roll. The three of you waste no time in continuing on your way.

It's another few minutes of mad dashing before you decide that you've put enough distance between yourselves and the manor. All in all, not a bad getaway. Not the best, but not bad. "Olena," you say as you pull back around the corner and back into the small shadowed dead-end you've decided to take a rest in, "You got what we needed from that comms system, right?"

"Barely," Olena says with a nod, "But that's not the problem…" You grimace but nod. Yeah - there is a bigger concern…

"Um…" Tawny speaks up hesitantly, "What is the problem?"

"We're on the wrong side of town," You reply, jabbing your thumb back toward the manor, "Our little hideout is roughly that way."

"Which means a whole lot of angry White Fang are between us and home base," Olena says with a sigh before turning to you, "Think we could sneak around like how we got in?"

"Maybe if we cut through the buildings," you say with a shrug, "Might have to hop between a few windows though."

Olena grimaces at that, "There's a rather small margin for error on those sorts of leaps."

"We could always try and bull-rush through them," you suggest with a shrug, "It worked getting out of the manor."

"Um," Tawny speaks up, "What about the tunnels?"

You and Olena blink at that, "What tunnels?" she asks.

"The drainage tunnels," Tawny explains, "This area, with all its dips and hills, needs a lot of drainage. So there are tunnels under the roads…"

"You mean the flooded roads?" you ask.

Tawny winces at that, before adding, "...They weren't flooded before…"

[ ] Punch through; pick a spot, and hit it as hard as you can. With any luck, you can lose them in the resulting chaos.

[ ] Underground; The tunnels should be unguarded… on account of being flooded. Swimming is fun though, right?

[ ] Sneak out; wind through the buildings, cutting across alleys and balconies and avoiding surface roads.

 

[Dragontrapper]

"You know what?" You say after a moment, "Screw it - let's just go go straight out."

Olena raises an eye at that, "Straight out through a likely horde of White Fang forces?"

"I also have questions…" Tawny says hesitantly. You look between the two of them and groan. Nobody appreciates your genius.

"The plan isn't without merits though," Olena continues, interrupting Tawny, "Primarily your exit strategy. You have no guarantee that they will be unable or unwilling to follow you."

You raise an eyebrow, "You have a suggestion for that then?"

"One or two," Olena says as she walks over to the wall, picking up a piece of brick and roughly sketching out a map of a building lined street. A set of small x's crossing the road half-way along its length. The White Fang, you're guessing, "But all basically the same idea - once we get past them," she draw a rough line arching around the x's, ending at the other side of the sketch, "We need to block their route after us,"

Okay, you'll bite, "Block how?"

Olena shrugs as she drops the brick piece, "Dropping a building on them should do it."

Tawny's expression morphs from vague confusion to panicking horror in an instant. You, however, can feel yourself grinning, "I like it!"

"I don't!" Tawny all but wails, "It's a building! You can't just blow it up! I mean-"

"My Starbursts should be more than enough to take out a skyscraper's structural supports," Olena assures her before turning to you, "It will take time though. And it's hard to place explosives when somebody is shooting at you."

"Tawny and I will keep them off your back," You say, stepping over to the smaller brunette and patting her roughly on the back, "They won't know what hit 'em!" Tawny just replies with a soft whimper. With nothing else to work out, the three of you head out of the alley and make your way east toward the edge of the district.

You manage to make it about two-thirds of the way across the district before you run into trouble. The easiest route out at this point was through a plaza surrounded by towering office complexes - from the logos, you were guessing banks and the like. A wide boulevard crossed in front of the street you'd been following, creating a large T-intersection that was now choked with abandoned cars. Past it, a plaza of concrete tile, corporate sculptures, and little gardens where cubicle workers could relax and have lunch between shifts - could being the key word, since large sections of the plaza had apparently collapsed downward, the spray of water from some of them suggesting the cause. Sinkholes from burst pipes or storm drains, most likely.

The other three sides were occupied by buildings, but the largest was the twenty-something story monolith of steel and glass that stood directly opposite the intersection. A small forest of gleaming steel supports surrounded the glass-shrouded lobby, the massive weight of the floors above seated atop them. Just in front of the supports a concrete plinth supported a stylized plum logo, the words 'Murasaki Financial' written out in large letters next to it.

Sitting atop it were maybe a half-dozen White Fang grunts. More were lounging around the plaza, tending to their guns or cooking food over little fire-pits. "So," you say as you look out across the scene from behind a corner, "Plan?"

"You and Tawny go in first to draw attention," Olena explains, "Then, once they are thoroughly distracted by your no-doubt enthusiastic assault, I can slip around the side and toward the building," she pauses briefly before adding, "Do be ready to move once you hear the signal - that large of a structure will easily take out the entire square."

"Um," Tawny hesitantly speaks up, "What's the signal?"

"Explosions," Olena replies succinctly.

"...oh.."

"Okay, so!" You say cheerfully as you heft your shield and shotgun-axe, a wide grin coming unbidden to you face, "Let's get to work!"

You try and imagine what the White Fang goons would see from their perspective as you stride forward. A white-haired, armor-clad figure calmly walking across the intersection, massive axe in one hand and equally massive shield in the other. Next to her, a small girl in a heavy coat brings up a heavy machine gun and without preamble opens fire on the nearest clump.

The initial burst of fire doesn't hit any of them, but does send the entire population of the plaza scrambling in a disorganized mob as they rush to respond to the sudden attack. That gives Tawny enough time to find a good spot to crouch down, bracing herself as she takes aim and fires again.

This time her rounds hit true, a group of goons on their way to their guns falling to the concrete in a cacophony of screams and curses. You don't pay them any mind as you steadily pick up your pace, gaining speed until a squad of mooks looks up to see your metal-ceramic armored form barreling toward them at a full sprint with axe raised. Panicked firing pings off your shield as you crash into the group, axe swinging. It's arc barely slowed as it cleaved through flimsy armor and soft flesh with equal ease, and in short order you're once again standing alone, your victims strewn about your feet. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch sight of Olena's silver hair, billowing behind her as she bolts across the square. None of the White Fang seem to see her.

An armored woman with a big axe is quite the attention-grabber, after all.

Ahead of you, a group of White Fang have just enough common sense to stay back, peeking out from above the edge of one of the sinkholes as one to open fire in your direction. You duck behind your shield again, but like this you can't really move forward until they stop for a reload.

From somewhere behind you comes the sound of tearing metal and when you glance back you see why. Another group of goons has opened fire on Tawny, but for her part the girl has deftly dodged, round after round biting into the metal where she had been as the girl arcs over the car in a graceful leap… and actually, you're pretty sure that's not how humans or fanus fall through the air.

Not without aura shenanigans, at least. Neat.

You watch as the small huntress alights on top of a bus for the briefest of moments before kicking off again, twisting in air, tail curling around her as she soar over the heads of a group of charging White Fang. Half of them simply stare skyward in confusion as the airborne huntress reorients herself, rifle aimed groundward. The other half have enough sense to grab their companions before scrambling out of the line of fire, heavy caliber rounds eating into the pavement where they had been standing a moment later.

At the same time as Tawny lands again, the gaggle firing on you run out of ammo, their rifles clicking dry. With a grin you kick off and launch yourself forward, your axe held behind you and your shield lowered so you can see their expression as you descend on them like a force of nature. You fail to bowl anyone over this time, but the first one goes down to a shield-enhanced backhand even as you bring your axe down in a massive overhead strike. Sadly, it seems you over telegraphed the strike, as all of them manage to scramble away. A Shame.

Moreso because that leaves more standing then you were expecting as the survivors of your rush attack finish hastily slapping in new clips and unload on you at point-blank range. You roll back, tumbling into cover behind a concrete planter and into one of the smaller sinkholes, but not before they manage to tear a few chunks from your plate armor. The bastards.

Tawny it's only fairing slightly better - whatever gravity shenanigans she's pulling are keeping her moving faster than the goons can track, but even from here you can see the look of panic on the poor girl's face. How the blazes did she survive out here this long anyhow?

The answer comes a moment later as she drops back to earth, light as a feather. In the brief lull as the White Fang try to reorient, you watch her take a deep breath before pressing something on the rifle's side. With a whirr, the receiver briefly expanding and shifting before collapsing back into its original shape. Along its side, the glowing stripes have changed color - from a cool blue to a harsh, angry red.

And then she springs into motion.

As a half dozen of them close on her, she shoots off - not forward, but sideways, a blur of motion that the White Fang only have a moment to register before her first salvo hit home. A string of explosions, thundering cracks in the echoing concrete valley of the plaza, mark where the first three are sent flying back into sprawling heaps as high explosive rounds bite into cheap armor. The remainder quickly open fire, but Tawny kicks off on another erratic vector, dodging gunfire by dashing into the middle of their loose formation. One goes down to friendly fire as his friend panic-fires as the tan and black blur, while the other two fall shortly after to snap shots from the miniature markswoman.

Well then, you think as the gunfire above you slackens, you suppose it's your turn.

You leap out of the sinkhole, no fancy semblance controlling your flight - just cold physics to direct your ballistic arc into the middle of an entire squad of White Fang. You twist yourself mid-air until you are dropping in feet first, and a slip second later you crash into one of the mooks, his body doing little to slow you down as you roll forward and shoot to your feet. Shield meets flesh as you rise, a wide swing clearing space around you as you bring your axe around, "Come on!" you shout, Axe-head hooking a goon by his bracer to pull him into head-butting range. He drops to the ground in a heap, "Fight me!" Three more charge at you - two from the side and one straight ahead - and with a grin you brace yourself. The girl taking the head-on approach is brave, but sadly for her svelte. A one-handed swing of your axe clips her jaw with the flat of the blade, and instead of cleaving her head in two you knock her off her feet just long enough for you to drive a boot into her gut in a kick that sends her crashing backward.

As your foot slams back to earth, you maintain the momentum, twisting at the waist as you bring your shield-bearing arm around in a pummeling haymaker right into the face of the goon coming from your right with enough force to send them pinwheeling. You don't bother turning to face the third one, now behind you, instead driving your arm back and burying your elbow into their gut before reaching back with Fire. The bottom of the Axe-blade hooks onto a gap in the armor, and you heave them over and catapult them across the way, "Is that all you can do!?" You shout, blood pumping in your ears as you seek out your next target. But none are willing to stand against you.

Cowards.

In the background, you can hear the gunfire of Tawny's running battle, but that's not your problem right now. No - what you need is somebody else to fight.

Luckily, you quickly find yourself a target.

You charge further across the plaza, bearing down on what had once been a cooking pit. Embers and ashes go airborne as you crash through, bearing down on your prey. They had thought they could take cover behind a battered coffee cart. You reduce it to kindling as you bulldoze through it, White Fang sprawling around you as you lash out. You bury your axe into the back of the nearest one, the armor cleaving in two before you lash out with an armored boot and kick them aside. Your shield finds its own target, smashing into a young woman's face with a sickening crunch and spray of blood. Another you grab with one hand before slamming their face into your opposite knee. You look about for more prey.

And instead find a veritable firing squad staring you down.

You hoist your shield up as you leap to the side, bullets pinging off your armor.

And then, over the sound of bullets striking metal, you hear a much louder sound.

The White Fang still standing turn around at the string of thundering explosions, looking toward the Murasaki building in confusion that quickly turns to terror. With a slow, droning groan, the steel supports around the lobby snap one after another as the towering structure slowly begins to tilt forward.

A few of the White Fang stare upward in slack-jawed surprise as they suddenly find a skyscraper looming above them. The rest have the good sense to run, as do you. Tiles shatter underfoot as you charge across the plaza, vaulting over planters and leaping across sinkholes as more and more of the sky overhead vanishes behind the quickly approaching facade of glass and steel. None of the White Fang you pass pay you any mind, more concerned about survival as the sky falls down.

You can just make out the jacketed form of Tawny closing in on you as you near the far side of the plaza, angling toward the narrow street that had squeezed between the Murasaki building and its lesser neighbors. Great plumes of dust and debris fill the air as you both close in on your goal, the great displacement of air as a hundred-thousand tons of architecture falls to earth. You can just make out the sleek form of Olena dashing from somewhere near the buildings base and into a side-alley before the tower finally reaches the ground in a cacophony of shattering glass and steel, and you're enveloped in a great cloud of dust and rubble.

The force of the blast sends you reeling, and you find yourself tumbling head over heels down the street before finally coming to a stop. With a groan, you flop onto you back, staring up into the open sky for a long moment before Olena's face obscures your view, "You alive?"

You shrug, "More or less. Tawny?"

"My everything hurts…" comes a groaned reply from somewhere off to your left.

"That was a good plan," You say with a nod toward Olena.

She replies with an undignified snort as she grabs you by the arm and pulls you onto your feet, "It was a horrible plan and we all should be dead."

"But we aren't," You point out, "So it was a good plan."

Olena rolls her eyes as she moves to help Tawny back onto her feet - with, you note, far more care then she bothered with you, "Let's just get back to base before you do something crazy. Again."


What do you want to do at base? (Vote for all options you want - top three win)
[ ] Talk to Aurelia
[ ] Talk to Tawny
[ ] Talk to Olena
[ ] Work on your weapons
[ ] Poke around the base
[ ] Investigate outside the base
[ ] Write-in (Specific talking topics, equipment goals, where you want to look, anything I didn't think of, etc…)

 

[Dragontrapper]

The walk back to the Cultural Center felt like it took ages. You were all sore. You were all dirty. Olena was quietly swearing every few steps. You were almost certain Tawny was trying not to cry.

You, however, were content. Mostly. You'd fought well and even if Olena's stunt had cut your fun short you couldn't argue with the results. In all, a suitably impressive end to a battle. Now, all you needed to do was get your less enthusiastic compatriots home in one piece. Fortunately, the Grimm were mostly giving you a wide berth. The few that ventured too close quickly became examples to the others of why that was a poor choice.

You were actually impressed that Olena managed to snap-shoot a Creep without even looking.

Unwise life-choices of local shadow-monsters aside, you all manage to make it back to the Cultural Center. Tawny hesitated at the threshold, staring up at the towering structure with no small amount of trepidation. "We're… going in there?"

You blink owlishly at her reaction before walking back over to her and patting her on the back, "Don't worry - this place is ours. Perfectly safe."

"Well, now that we've cleared out the basement…" Olena adds with a shrug as she moves past the pair of you.

"Basement?" Tawny gains a look of panic as she rushes after Olena, "What was in the basement?! Hey, wait!"

You follow after the two, and by the time you reach what part of your brain is calling the Inner Sanctum Aurelia was already waiting for you. "Welcome back," she says as she nods toward Tawny, "Found another stray?"

"Excuse me?" Olena says in obvious annoyance, but you ignore her.

"Aurelia, meet Tawny Sweets," you turn to the small rifle user, "Tawny, Aurelia Armas - our resident tech genius and Voice on the Radio."

Aurelia gave Tawny a soft smile as she adjusted her glasses, "She's adorable," Her smile fell away as she turned to you, "So - what did you find?"

You ignored a stammering, blushing Tawny as you pulled out your scroll and handed it to Aurelia, "The station was just a relay - Olena… did something with it. I don't get the technical stuff. It should all be on here though."

"Lovely," Aurelia replies, taking the scroll, "So - what are you doing now?"

"Now?" you reply as you turn to leave, "Raiding the fridge and then taking over the couch again."

"Have fun," Aurelia waves languidly in reply as she turned to her workstation, "Just don't touch my yogurt."

"Yeah, yeah," you say back as you turn to Tawny, "Come on - I'll show you around. Hopefully Olena hasn't eaten all the good grub."

Once you've finished rummaging through whatever edibles you could get hold of, you made sure to show Tawny what was where before promptly shucking off your gear, dropping onto the couch and passing out.

When you awake, time has moved on considerably. Based on how much sunlight was coming from the skylight it was probably late morning, and from your vantage point on the couch you could spot to of your companions. Tawny was curled up on an oversized chair, asleep and using her jacket as a blanket, while Aurelia was across the room at the kitchenette making coffee based on the smell.

You left her to it, instead heading to the bathroom to freshen up. You might have been lacking in spare clothing at the moment but you could still clean yourself up. You make a mental note to look for some spare clothing anyhow.

Aurelia is seated at a table, mug of steaming coffee in hand, by the time you step back into the room. You grab yourself a protein bar from the fridge before dropping into a chair across from her. You give her another look over before summarizing your thoughts, "You look like crap."

With a groan, Aurelia slumps over, "That data you bought me was basically a raw I/O dump. Why would you do that to me?"

You just shrug, "Bring it up with Olena - she handled that part. Me and Tawny were preoccupied with the army of White Fang grunts trying to murder the lot of us."

Aurelia stills for a moment before her shoulders slump and she sits back up with a sigh, "That's… fair, I guess." silence falls over the table again as Aurelia stares into her coffee for a long while before taking a long drink of it. "...I shouldn't be here."

You raise an eyebrow at that, "What? You have work to do in the command room or something?"

"I mean… here," she says, "In this city. I was supposed to be back at the command headquarters, telling you what to do from the safety of the largest military encampment the continent has seen since the Color Wars. Not sitting in an abandoned museum waiting to get eaten and… I could see the building topple over from here!"

"Oh, you saw that?" you grin, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"No!" Aurelia shoots back, "Not cool! You blew up a building! Just like that! Normal people can't do that - I can't do that. I don't have advanced weapons, or years of combat training, or soul magic bullshit. I'm just an analyst." She leaned back in her chair, "I'm so far out of my league I think I'm in a different sport."

"Well…you're probably right," you say with a shrug as you tear open the food bar and bite a chunk out of it, not paying the analyst's gobsmacked expression any mind as you continue, "I mean, none of us are really supposed to be here, right? And it's not like you're dragging us down or something - sure, you can't fight as well as me or Olena, but neither of us can handle the technical stuff for shit and if you weren't here we'd probably have died by now. So no, you can't topple a building but I can't hack government computer systems. We all have our talents…"

You pause momentarily before adding, "...though you could probably knock over a building via hacking? Just hack the gas mains and trigger something - that's how that sort of stuff works, right?"

Aurelia blinks at you before chuckling dryly, "No - no it isn't," she drains the last of her coffee before standing up and stretching, "Thanks for the chat - think I'll get back to work on that data. Should have a location by the end of the day, hopefully."

You grin, "Nice."

A smaller grin of her own appears on Aurelia's face, "I suppose it is. What about you?"

You give another shrug, "Probably work on my gear a little - why, you need something?"

"Not right now, no," she says back as she heads back to the kitchenette to drop her mug in the sink, "Thanks Viveka."

You give a dismissive wave, "No problem. Let me know when you find something out."

"Will do," Aurelia gives a final languid wave goodbye as she heads back toward the command room and its bank of computers. Alone again, you nibble at your protein bar as you think about your next move.

And where did Olena get to, anyhow?

As it turned out, the swordswoman had found herself an open meeting hall and was using the space to run through the training exercises. What for you had no idea, given how much fighting you'd all just been through, but you weren't one to judge.

So, you left her to her flowing kata and headed off for your own goal - the workshop.

Well, 'Workshop' was a bit of a stretch - after you'd found all of those weapons parts and tools you'd just set it up on one of the larger conference tables as neatly as you could be bothered to. It left you with plenty of room to strip-down and clean any of your gear and kept everything in close reach.

You weren't the only one looking at doing some weapons work though - Tawny was seated at one end of the table, her rifle dismantled into its constituent components. She was also out of her coat, and as a result she looked… small.

She hasn't noticed you walking in, and the adorable look of concentration on her face, tail curling around the chair as she cleaned and maintained her gun didn't waver as you strode around the table and took a seat for yourself. It wasn't until you dropped your armor and shotgun onto the table with a heavy thunk that she looked up with a start, "Hiya!" You greeted her cheerfully, "Mind if I join you?"

"Oh, uh, yes," Tawny replies before her eyes widen in a panic and she starts waving wildly, "I mean no! I mean - please, sit. Yes." she stammers out the last part before quickly looking back down at her own weapon, the inner workings of her rifle suddenly very fascinating.

"Great," With that, you pull your chestplate closer with one hand as you reach into the toolbox sitting on the table and fish out a couple of tools. You give a small 'tsk' as you examine the plate; bastards nicked the plating. With a grumble, you start fishing through the box for repair alloy.

You both continue your own tasks for a while in comfortable silence, the only noise being the clanks and taps of tools in use or parts being moved. It isn't until after you've finished repairing your armor and moved on to servicing your shotgun that Tawny breaks the silence, "Um...Viveka?"

You look up at her as she says your name. Her rifle is still dismantled in front of her - actually, you think it's even more dismantled then before; the loading system is partially dismantled in front of her, miniature servo's and lever systems supporting what look like a whole set of magazines. "What's up?"

"So, um…" her gaze darts back down to her own work fiddling with a small screwdriver as she speaks, "...Why are you here?"

You blink owlishly before dropping your head to the table with a thunk, "We forgot to tell you, didn't we?"

"It's fine!" Tawny quickly assures you, "You were busy not dying!"

"I guess," you groan. You lift your head back up with a sigh before turning to her, "We're trying to save Glynda Goodwitch."

Her eyes widen at that, "Wait, she's still in the city?"

"Yup," you say with a nod as you go back to work on your shotgun, "It was supposed to be a grab and go but…" you shrug, "The Grimm had other ideas. And things have turned out to be a lot less straightforward than it looked. Anyhow!" you flash her a smile, "What about you?"

"Eh?" Tawny stammers.

"How'd you get here?" you ask, "I mean - Olena is here to rob the place blind-"

"Wait, she's what?!"

"-And Aurelia just got stranded here when our transport crashed. So, what about you?" After a moment you add, "And what's going on with your rifle? It looked normal-ish but that-" you jab a finger at the complex assembly in front of her, "-is not normal."

"Um…" she hesitates before answering, "I was here to watch the tournament like a lot of others. When everything… went wrong, I thought I could help. But I haven't been a Huntress for long and I got a little turned around in the city and then there was Grimm everywhere and I figured it would be safer to hide somewhere for a short while but when I came out the whole city was cut off and-"

"Woah, woah!" you quickly try to calm the girl, "Slow down! So you got stranded in Vale - you aren't the only one, or so I've been told." Wait - had there been anyone in that building? Standard protocol for a Grimm attack was to get below ground, so there shouldn't have been. Especially with the White Fang apparently owning the area…

You make a mental note not to say anything about it to Olena.

"So, what about your gun?" you say, changing the subject with all the subtly you are known for.

"Oh, it's not much, really," Tawny replies with more energy then she was showing before, "It's a Parallel Magazine Interchange System."

"...A what?"

"So, uh, you know how a lot of Huntresses use revolver-type systems with several dust types?" Tawny explains, "It gives them more options, but revolvers are sort of limited with ammo. Magazine systems can still change ammo types, but you have to swap out entire magazines. This-" she gestures down at the assembly, "-just lets me keep several magazines loaded at once and switch between them. It's a lot heavier than a normal magazine system, and reloading the whole system is slower, but…"

"Cool…" you say as you lean closer, "If I want to use different Dust shells, I have to change them manually."

"So, uh," Tawny nodded toward your shotgun where it's partially disassembled, "What are you doing anyhow?"

"Just some general work," you reply, "Seeing if I have any ideas while I service it. Nothing major."

Any further questions were cut off as the intercom overhead (which you didn't even realize was a thing) crackled to life and Aurelia's voice came from it, "Viveka? I think I've got something. Meet me in the command room."

"Well, that's our cue," you say as you stand up, quickly reassembling your weapon. In moments, Fire is back in one piece and cradled against your shoulder as you head out into the hall, "Alright! Let's go save the world or something!"

Olena is already in the office along with Aurelia by the time you and Tawny arrive, "Did she call you too?"

"No," Olena replies as she leans back against a console, "But I figure that whatever she found would be worth knowing."

"An accurate statement," Aurelia says as she finishes whatever she was typing on the computer, hitting one final key before turning around in her chair to face the three of you, "So - good news, bad news, and other news."

"Good news first, please." Tawny says hesitantly.

"The data you brought back let me trace the transmission source," Aurelia explains, "I've found Glynda."

"So what's the bad news?" you ask.

Aurelia raises an eyebrow, "What did you think of fighting that Paladin when we got here?"

"Didn't particularly enjoy it," you reply. Next to you, Tawny is staring up at you with something akin to awe while Olena is just giving that flat annoyed look she sometimes does, "Why?"

"The message came from a location in the commercial district - where, specifically, I'm not sure, but I have the location down to a block or two. Give me a little longer to sift through the infrastructure data and I should be able to narrow it down further - there are only so many narrow-beam data relays in that area."

"So, what's the commercial district have to do with Paladins?" Olena asks.

"All of the survey data we have from outside have shown thermal and ELINT signatures consistent with Atleasean mech systems operating in the district, and in large numbers." Aurelia says, "Why they're concentrated there, I have a few theories but nothing concrete. Best guess? Power and computing resources."

"Doesn't change the fact that getting through them will be a pain in the ass," you can't help but groan. Fighting robots is just annoying.

"So," Olena speaks up again, "what's the other news?"

Aurelia frowns as she turns back to her system, "I found other messages in the data as well - all transmissions from inside the city. I'm guessing the comm's system picked them up while routing its primary traffic."

Olena begins to frown as well, "What sort of messages?"

Aurelia glances back at the three of you, "Distress messages, what else? All of them are on standard SAR frequencies, and most are old enough to dismiss. But two are more recent; One's coming from the Industrial District - specifically, the main power station for the city. Looks like something has tripped its automated alert system, which means something has most likely damaged it's Dust systems. Catastrophic damage isn't likely, but there's a good chance the city will lose what little power it has left. We'll be down to local reserves and whatever is still coming in from outside - assuming the system flux doesn't trigger a cascade failure."

"And… the second?" Tawny asks.

"A commercial emergency beacon, usually used by hikers and the like," Aurelia explains, "Battery is only good for 48 hours or so, meaning it's recent. Either somebody in the city is desperate for help or it was triggered by mistake. Luckily, it's not too far from here, just inside the Residential District. Given how bad that area is though, it's probably a false alarm."

"Might not be though," Olena points out.

"So…" Tawny asks, "How do we choose?"

(CHOOSE ONE - all time-sensitive in some way)
[ ] "The sooner we save Glynda, the sooner we can fix everything else."
[ ] "Even if we don't lose power here, the rest of Vale going dark would make things a lot harder."
[ ] "If there's a chance that there are actual people out there, we can find the time to at least check it out."

 

[Dragontrapper]

It didn't take long for you all to agree on going for the distress signal - if anything did happen to the power grid, you could fix it later (probably) and If Glynda Goodwitch could take care of herself for two weeks, another couple of days wasn't going to hurt.

It was just before noon when the three of you finally head out, Aurelia promising to relay anything she finds over the radio. The sun is high overhead as you walk out into the abandoned streets, a steady breeze sending loose trash tumbling down the road like tumbleweeds and leaving the sky a cloud-and-smoke-free blue.

It's… eerily pleasant. As if the entire city had just headed off to the lake for the weekend.

"Come on," Olena says as she brushes past you, startling you out of your thoughts, "We've got people to save." She pauses for a moment to glance back at you when you don't move, "You alright?"

You glare down the street, as if your look alone could change the scene, "I don't like it. This is a battlefield - it should feel like one."

Olena shrugs as the three of you start moving again, "Battle's don't last forever. And when they end, battlefields always become the same thing."

Oh - you think you know this one - An old turn of phrase. Tawny, however, seems less familiar with it as she asks, "What's that?"

Olena looks to her right, glancing at the girl with a raised eyebrow, "A grave."

Tawny's eyes widen at that before she quickly begins looking around, scooting closer to the two of you.

Yeah, you suppose that thought would be creepy if you weren't used to it.

Fortunately, the trip to the source of the beacon is relatively calm. A few lone knights and a smattering of Grimm are all you come across - and they hardly counted as a fight. The lack of action is rapidly grating on your nerves as you wait for the other shoe to drop.

It fails to do so as you reach what is your apparent goal - a complex of angular buildings, all decked out in glass and exposed concrete that was the in-vogue style for corporate architecture it seemed, and surrounded by a tastefully manicured ring of tall shrubberies and slender trees. The only real gap through was a wide private road, barred off by a vehicle barrier. Sitting next to it was a rather low-key sign that read 'Sidereel Technologies - Vale Development Labs'. You key up your radio, calling Aurelia, "You sure this is the right place?"

"Absolutely," Aurelia replies over the radio, "Now that you've gotten close enough for me to get a proper bearing. Why?"

"Because this place looks huge!" you reply quickly, "Can you at least tell us where we're supposed to be going?"

"Only if you want to waste a day walking around the place so I can shoot some lobs off your scroll," Aurelia says. You can't help but imagine she's shrugging.

"I have no idea what that means."

"It means you can spend a day walking in a circle or just search the place and probably get lucky," Aurelia says, "Sorry."

You sigh, "Well, it's better than nothing, I guess." You drop the connection and turn to Olena and Tawny, "Looks like we're searching this place."

"Joy," Olena says as she raises her weapon, "Any idea what's inside?'

"Eh," you shrug as you heft the barrier up and out of the way with a grunt, "Probably the usual - angry shadow-monsters, rogue kill bots, disgruntled locals," Your face lights up as a thought occurs to you, "Wait, this is some sort of lab, right? Maybe it'll have booby traps! Or some sort of horrible abomination of science."

"Couldn't it just be empty?" Tawny asks nervously as you all head up the road. It seems to dip down into some sort of underground garage up ahead, while just above the tunnel you can make out some sort of courtyard, "Empty would be good, right?"

"Empty is boring though," you say back. Fire is pressed against your shoulder as you sweep the treeline. Next to you, Olena is doing much the same with her sword pistol. You idly note that the blade is still extended out in front - guess it isn't one of those fancy folding types.

"Boring is good!" Tawny says back, her own rifle raised as she sweeps left and right.

"Boring or not," Olena speaks up, "I hope whoever was here doesn't mind if I borrow a thing or two. This trip is getting expensive."

"Hey, if we save some people I'm sure they won't mind," you suggest as you approach the tunnel. The road dips down at a shallow angle before terminating at a heavy metal shudder that currently seals off the tunnel. You turn to Olena, "Think you can blast it open?"

Olena frowns, "I'd rather not - besides shrapnel, any blast that big will not be subtle," she turns to you, "For once, I'd like to be subtle."

"Hey!" you jab a finger her direction, "I was plenty subtle back at the manor!"

Olena rolls her eyes, "Up until you dropped a guy off the roof."

"That was not my-" you start, only to get interrupted by Tawny.

"Uh, Couldn't we-" both you and Olena instantly turn to her, and the girl lets out a surprised squeak at the sudden attention before stammering out, "C-couldn't we just try the door?"

She points down the tunnel, and as you look at where she's pointing you can in fact just make out a door tucked into the wall just before the shudder. "...Huh. Good catch Tawny."

The three of you head down the ramp, stopping at the door as Olena begins picking the lock. It's a strange one - no handle, just a heavy lock embedded into the metal. You guess the key was also used to pull it open. You and Tawny cover Olena as she works - for a while, it's quiet.

Then you hear something at the top of the ramp. Both you and Tawny snap your weapons toward the sound, but all you see is a piece of rubble tumbling over the edge and onto the street ahead of you. You strain your ears, trying to hear anything else. You can't tell if the sound is somebody shifting between cover above you or just your heart pounding in your ears. "Olena, this is quickly turning into a bad idea."

"Then let… me…" Olena grunts before with a dull thunk the door pops open, "Work!"

"Olena in first," you quickly order, "Tawny after. Move!" The two of them quickly file through before you walk backward through the door, Fire trained on the far end of the sloping road the entire time. Just before you close the door, you swear you see something move across the far end of the tunnel.

But then the door slams shut, and you're plunged into darkness.

"...Viveka?"

"Yeah, Olena?"

"I can't see shit," there's a chorus of grumbling and fumbling as everyone pulls out their scrolls and flicks on the lights. You're in - what else - a utility corridor, though thankfully this one seems short. At the far end you spot another door, and you waste no time in heading for it.

You find yourself in a concrete cavern of cars and columns, an expansive parking garage lit only by your lights and a few burning barrels and containers, "An abandoned camp?" you ask as you spy the glowing embers of a fire.

"Maybe," Olena says as you slowly make your way through the garage. The sweeping lights send shadows dancing across the space, tricking the eye with illusions of movement. You and Olena stay focused, but next to you Tawny's aim keeps leaping around as she jumps at shadows.

You make your way past the cluster of guttering fire pits, and as you press forward you start seeing more signs of habitation - cars pushed out of their spots to form barriers, car seats pulled out and arranged into circles, hoods and tires stacked into tables…

"Stairwell," Olena announces, and you turn to look where she is pointing. A pair of wide concrete steps wind their way upward, flanking an elevator shaft that you highly doubt is working at the moment.

"Onward and upward, I guess," you say as you lead the way to the stairs.

You find more and more signs of people as you press on - forgotten bags, dropped toys, discarded jackets, "What happened here?" Tawny asked hesitantly.

"Something fast," Olena replies, "But… there's no damage to anything. It's like they just up and left."

"Well," you interject as you nod ahead to where the steps finally end at a bank of fogged glass doors, "Let's hope we can find some clues then."

You push the doors open, and step back out into sunlight. You'd come out in some sort of inner courtyard, A menagerie of buildings encircling it, cutting it off from the outside world. It's a large courtyard - more of a park, really - with a few gentle hills and small stands of trees intermixed with gazebos and picnic tables. A large number of said tables seemed to have been pulled out of place and turned into barricades. A ring of metal tables arcs in front of you and continues around behind you, abutting against the sides of the concrete stairwell you'd just stepped out of.

"Huh," you say as you step forward, striding into the middle of the brick-paved square, "Well, this is-"

Whatever you were going to say was cut off by the sound of a hundred weapons being raised and readied. In an instant, you find yourself vastly outnumbered. All three of you raise your weapons, but you don't need to be a tactical genius to realize that these odds suck, Aura or no.

"Who the fuck are you three?" a voice, artificially amplified, echoes over the crowd arranged against you.

"We're friends," Olena replies for you three.

"Like we haven't heard that one before," the voice replies, "Put down your weapons or lose your breathing privileges. Your call."

[ ] Put down weapons
[ ] Try and talk them into letting you just leave
[ ] Attempt to ask some questions
[ ] Write-in