Onward: Red

[voidtreckermods]

Change of Plans

The night of G6 brings rain and wind, though nothing as heavy as the storm currently brewing in Orange’s location. The monsters continue attacking through the night, their numbers greater than on previous nights.

As morning dawns on the third day (G7) they may hope to rest. Their SCAs have different ideas. In unison, the SCA's of Red Team flash with the colour of the void and a holographic message appears.

Red Team

Unknown threat detected. Assignment: travel to the new location and eliminate the threat. The specifics of this threat are currently unknown, though it seems to be related to threats already present on the surface.

Travel overland. There are a number of tunnel entrances that have taken damage, trapping Terran civilians. Assignment: free them. They may wish to travel with you to aid you against this threat.

There is a new dot on their maps, showing the location of this threat as well as the places where Terran need help. The threat is a few days away and the places where people need help are scattered along the route to their final destination.

Rescuers

All the points lead to tunnels that are near the surface. The Terran are trapped within offices or small barracks. For the most part it is not difficult to free them, it just takes people on the outside to move larger rubble and debris.

Luckily these offices can also serve as refuge points once night falls, for the red team to hole up away from the monsters that roam the surface.

Or they can fight, if they wish: the monsters seem determined to get into the tunnels.

A bigger threat

The daytime is the best time for travelling, as they make their way towards the point indicated on the map. As the days go on they will see a large building on the horizon, familiar from the Orange team’s drop-off on G5. They are drawing closer to the research facility.

They will also start encountering a slight larger variation of the monsters. These are not so much taller than the original monsters but much brawnier. They are slightly more resistant to light, though sunlight and bright light shone into their eyes will still destroy them.

They will first encounter a couple of these on the night of G8 (the fourth night of the mission) but as the nights go on and they get closer to their target, more will be mixed in with the regular monsters.

Comments

47 | OTA

[rieper]

I. Change of Plans

47 wasn't fond of changing plans right in the middle of a mission. Of course, this by far wasn't the first time this had happened to him out of the blue. Sometimes he needed to rethink a strategy as new information came to light, or sometimes the client decided to change their mind about what they wanted. Sometimes there was just never a clear plan in the first place and one had to be made as he went along. But whatever the circumstances it was never fun to suddenly change a plan already in motion.

Of course, the plan so far hadn't been doing much for them anyway. Perhaps this would be better. If they could find a threat that they could actually kill that would be loads more useful than what they were currently doing.

So 47 helped round up their supplies and stray members as they decided to go along with the new plan. It was a good time to catch him for a discussion or just help him repack whatever they hadn't already so they could move out further into the bleak environment. Mind the puddles and mud beginning to form from the rain. At least his mood didn't change with the weather, or anything else for that matter.

II. Rescuing Efforts

Moving debris wasn't 47's favorite pastime but he worked as hard and well as any other person making the effort. Mostly he did it because it was part of the mission. Like he would get a bonus for every civilian he rescued. It wasn't the case but it was a simple trick of the mind to keep it steady.

At night he opted to use one of the nearby tunnels as a defensive point because it was much easier to move during the day but they still needed to sleep. He could get by with a few days of sleep missing but eventually even he would wear too thin to be of any use. And he didn't think it would be wise to go in half cocked anyway.

III. A Bigger Threat

47 immediately recognized the building from before while awaiting their drop-off point on the train. Trekking this far on foot seemed ridiculous at worst and annoying at best. 47 didn't complain but he had his doubts about whoever was calling the shots. The civilians could have been dealt with by another team that was made for this.

More importantly however was the fact that whenever they didn't have a place to hole up for the night they still had to fight the monsters. And they got the fun of discovering the larger variations as they got closer to the building.

47 opened a comm on the fifth day of the mission to warn the other team of their progress--and the new monster type they were having to face now.

rescuing efforts

[blitzcheer]

"Think we should stick here for the night or try and head over to the next location?"

Tidus had been there helping with the rubble removal efforts, but there wasn't much need to speak then, all their energy being spent on clearing out the mess until there was enough room to engage with those trapped within. At those times, Tidus was the one more than willing to call down words of reassurance, that they'll get to them soon, asking if anyone needed any healing and they'll get some if so.

Now that was long since over, the Terrans and their own numbers seen to, and Tidus had his eyes on his SCA, but was regarding Tobias too. The guy just knew his stuff, and Tidus figured he'd been on enough Red Team missions as Light to trust his judgment. This was a good enough time to find out, anyway.

[rieper]

47 glanced down at his SCA and then back out at the evening sky. As he stared off into the distance he made quick mental calculations based off the previous days' day-to-night timing and the position of the next dot on their map to come up with an answer for Tidus. It would be a tight squeeze if they left now, and depending on what they found at the next sight it could leave them exposed.

"It might be less risky to stay here for the night," he told Tidus truthfully.

[blitzcheer]

A break should bring relief, but there wasn't much relieving about this situation to Tidus. He hums, a flat note hinting concern, sparing a look out towards the washed sky meeting the desert. The scattering of orbs that would be floating indifferently on the horizon, a contrast to the danger they would soon become.

"It always this desperate on Red Team?" Maybe it wasn't a Red Team thing, but with those spheres just taunting him out of view- "It doesn't feel like we've learned anything useful since we got here."

They knew the creatures didn't like light, but so what? It wasn't making their situation or anyone's that much better. Were they missing something else?

[rieper]

"Yes," came the reply without much hesitation. They always did seem to have the most active and least prepared missions but perhaps that was simply a matter of opinion. Not one of the teams really got much Intel before the missions began but Blue and Purple typically had a straight-forward goal and Orange had a puzzle of some sort and little action. Red had lots of action and if their was a "puzzle" of some sort it was never expected. That probably meant he should start expecting them.

"The are the most laughable missions I've ever had the unfortunate 'pleasure' of taking," he said. The only insight he left out was that was a whole lot of missions to compare them to considering his long career.

[enthunder]

Change of Plans - preparation and/or complaining

This doesn't check out, she'd said, upon seeing Red team's initial brief. Even after the night turned their camp into a total shitshow, she'd been suspicious, waiting for the blade to fall. What, they were just gonna get left on the surface to fend off waves of monsters without end? If their early tests were right, that didn't even kill them. There were easier ways to die. Then morning came, and, exhausted, she checked her SCA.

There it was. Travel to the new location and eliminate the threat. Good to know they'd been tiring themselves out for nothing so far, or... well, whatever. They had information. Practise fighting the things.

"Anyone hurt?" She calls, the check automatic by now. They need to pack up. She needs to get blood off her suit again. They should probably eat. "We need to move."

Rescuers - napping or guarding

Given that without a weapon, all she can do is create varying intensities of glowing magic, Light mostly naps during the daytime, when the group stops to pick up another Terran or two. Not uninterrupted, and often leaning on someone else given the cramped quarters. At night, she sets herself at whatever perimeter they've been able to establish, and fills it with bolts of electricity.

It keeps them from swarming from that direction, but playing the part of a storm generator doesn't exactly leave one with defenses. It's boring, too. When she isn't being attacked, it's just long stretches of draw, cast, draw... she doesn't say it, but she welcomes company.

A Bigger Threat - exploring and/or fighting

Every few hours, her link to Odin is strong enough to call him, and every few hours, she calls him. After the first day, where she rode out alone and had what was honestly in the top ten shittiest nights she could name off-hand, she starts to grab another voidtrecker to ride with her.

Odin's destrier form isn't exactly small. The engraved plate that formed his shield as a knight made for a large saddle. Compared to the two-person ships from three worlds back, it could even count as roomy. Generally she takes volunteers, but sometimes it's someone who looks like they're about to snap under the strain of the march and the attacks.

Even though she tries to only range out during sunlit hours, accidents happen. Having a partner comes in very handy when they investigate a tunnel off the main route for Terran, and one of the larger creatures lunges at them from the darkness. For example.

[knifewithnoname]

She looks very, very dubious about the idea of getting on Lightning's weird magic horse and riding out with her. She's unsure about horses at the best of times and this one was a magical construct and also huge.

But she's also never going to disobey Lightning so she nods and approaches cautiously, wrinkling her nose.

Deciding she will get on the stupid horse is one thing. Actually doing so is another.

[enthunder]

The horse is, as the kid has noticed, pretty massive. Which, she supposes, comes from it being a messenger of God. Fortunately, while messengers of God don't come with mounting blocks, they do come with l'Cie.

"Hold still," she commands, before taking a firm hold of her hips and, with a moment's pause to clue her in to what's about to happen, lifting her up to the saddle.

[knifewithnoname]

She is still as a statue as she is lifted into the air onto the horse. She stays still once she is sat down, not daring to move at all in case the stupid thing decides to bolt and take her with it.

She tries not to show how unnerved she is as she sits waiting for Lightning to mount.

rescuers - guarding

[blitzcheer]

"Lemme join in? This is turning out to be good practice on my magic."

He asks for permission, but Tidus isn't actually waiting for it as he comes to where Lightning is, wisps of lights dancing up his body and then keeping in a circle around his feet as with his left hand. He clenches it, he throws it out, and a bolt strikes the perimeter Light has set. Tidus doesn't have the speed or spread of Light's own, but light is light--and this Tidus knows he can spare.

"Red Team always like this?"

What he means by that is up to her interpretation. But his mood has been more determined than light and easy, more driven than jovial.

o7

[enthunder]

She doesn't bother giving him permission he doesn't need, intent on pulling lightning from the brand on her chest. The mark glows almost constantly these nights, the mark hovering over her clothing like a transgate into her ribcage.

Intent, also, on giving him an answer. Her own frustration is a tireder thing, more worn, the edges lost.

"... This time it's warmer."

[blitzcheer]

There may be positives to take from this, the practice this is giving Tidus, technically. A practice he wouldn't have needed to bother with in Spira, a practice he can't well get into on a train. But the positives of this situation is grasping, too thin to have a place on Tidus's mind.

He remembers vaguely the exhaustion on the beaches of Gyueran, but even that was different. They felt useful. They were protecting.

So it may be the scoff that should be inspired by Light's reply doesn't quite hit Tidus's throat strong enough to sound, doesn't even vibrate, or lodge itself somewhere. What takes better form is the next bolt he crashes down, a harder throw of his hand. He doesn't have the energy levels to have it be satisfying.

"We were dumped in the middle of nowhere and now--it's this," he leaks out, bitter all around. "I just--don't get the point of it. We haven't figured anything out. We're getting by better 'cause of the other teams," and the Spider's magic, "but we're just--"

Dumped here. Ill-equipped. Barely equipped. People without weaponry or protection and travelling towards who knows what. Tidus doesn't know if to be angry about the mission itself, or just that unknown entity shoving it at them in the first place. He has the time and need to be mad at something to pin it on both.

napping, guarding, what's the difference

[rieper]

The latest Terran rescue was under-way but this time 47 wasn't helping clear the rubble for a change. Instead, he sat next to a boulder staring out at the evening horizon. It was close to nightfall and his eyes were picking out the various silver orbs hovering out in the distance as he sat waiting. If it took them much longer they were going to need defenses around the area to keep the monsters back while the workers continued to clear the way.

The assassin shifted awkwardly as he tried to adjust his position. He didn't want to disturb the sleeping Lightning on his shoulder; her magic would be invaluable should they need it for the night. It had started off as a quiet moment, an attempt at conversation gone silent, then somehow devolved into nap time.

look its the good kush

[enthunder]

Outside as they were, it was difficult for her to drift off completely. But she was struggling just as much with staying awake, with her brand pulsing dully from strain, her core still gathering the strength she'd need for the next night. Even the warmth of the sun on her face, the rock against her back, and the shoulder under her cheek... rather than disturbing her, they just lulled her into a half-dreaming state.

"Think there's a point to this?" She asked, eventually, in a voice made soft by sleep.

good and hard. but at least it's reliable.

[rieper]

47 turned his head to regard Lightning. She looked pretty out of it but not entirely asleep either. It was a pity because they couldn't be certain she would get better sleep later and her magic was straight up the most useful thing they had.

Still, he considered her question for a moment. "There has to be. There's no reason to send us elsewhere unless there's a better target to go after." He was silent for another two seconds and then a thought occurred to him. "Unless you mean the situation as a whole in general?" He refrained from shrugging out of consideration. "I couldn't say."

Who knew what reasoning monsters had for anything that they did? Even he had had to be taught what his purpose in life was and all he was was a glorified monster.

napping

[radishlobbyist]

When she had overthrown all plans for Blue to go with Red Team instead, it had been a last-minute decision driven by her upset at discovering Wen Ning vanished, his name gold on the roster. If she can't have him with her right now and doesn't know if or when he will return to her, she can at least do her best to protect the other people dearest to her.

She just had to go and pick an absolutely grueling mission for this and yet...

"I'm glad I'm here," she murmurs, her fingers running through Lightning's hair, her head on Wen Qing's lap while she takes a quick nap while the group is taking a lunch break.

It's tough, fighting by night and traveling by day, though hardest for those on the team with are regular humans - or those who keep going above and beyond their duty, such as Lightning.

"I would hate not being with you during these days." There is only so much she can do, mostly saving her limited pool of spiritual power to patch people up the best she can with the limited means she has at her disposal, helping out with the sword as it is necessary. But she doesn't regret being out here, just that she has to let Lightning leave on her excursions. "Will you be riding out again later?"

[blitzcheer]

Greeeeat, travelling forward into who knows what--just what they needed. Which was a lot more of everything--supplies, info, hands to help everyone on every team now--, but it was better to turn his aggravation for this entire mess into fuel for pushing forward. It was what Tidus was biting down on, chewing, like hanging skin in his mouth he couldn't leave well alone.

travelling

Throughout the days, as they get ready to move or in the midst of already dong so, Tidus will help relieve some of the exhaustion of their mission to those who allow it, to the Terrans they eventually pick up too. It's a simple enough ability, cheer; a pleasant breeze shooting up and a few lights surrounding those it effects, and it uplifts one's spirit and strengthens the body for the time. A good way to start off a trek in a hot endless stretch of red sand.

But he'll also simply talk to people sometimes too, matching their speed and asking, "Hey, feeling fine?" to check up on the rest of the team.

rescuing

Once they reach and locate the ruined entrances, Tidus heads to each with tenacity, getting stuck in first or with someone else already there with a "Let me help!", and his hands grabbing at the awkwardly ruined stone to drag aside. He's determined, and while he might mutter a word or two under his breath, he's keeping quiet beyond his exhausted breathing. Refusing to rest until they've found the trapped locals, and using the dirtied and tattered arms of the hoodie he's been keeping around his waist to wipe his brow.

It could be outside, on one of those awkward, larger of the rubble becoming a seat, or in the inner quarters of the underground they've opened access to, offering reprieve as everyone takes the time to recuperate.

"Rescue missions is tough work."

resting/night

The underground brought them better relief at night than their time spent outside, but for the rest he should be getting, their approaching destination and state of the mission had Tidus tapping a restless foot where he was hunched by a wall. Head dipped, and a dark look on his face at whatever he was thinking.

And he might be caught mumbling to himself, revealing some of it. "Are we even taking them out...?"

a bigger threat

And then, as if things couldn't get more frustrating for all this travelling. Luck isn't always on their side for an underground to take refuge in, and Tidus is one of those capable of bringing down lightning to take out the monsters as they come. It's the easiest means of dealing with them, his sword more than useless a majority of the time.

But for the magic that he uses, Tidus isn't limitless in what he can do, and it distracts him, when it's already easy to miss the amount of foes they have to deal with. Warn him if one gets close up behind--or even take it out for him, before or after it's knocked him down.

A bigger threat

[knifewithnoname]

If she had to rank the missions in levels of stupid- and she was, because there's not much else to think about when trying to move rubble and resting in tunnels, then this was the second most stupid.

Nothing quite beat the stupid talking ice man who decided to make snow drifts bigger than her. But monsters that couldn't be stabbed were coming a very close second.

Very very close second. "Be watching out!" She kicked out at the monster, sending it staggering. A whole pace backwards. Stupid. Monsters.

She had her SCA on torch at least and shone it upwards, trying to get the light in the black dots that were probably eyes.

[blitzcheer]

Tidus spins to the call, not certain if it's for him or someone else, but sees the too-near shape of a fiend staggering away from him, the smaller form of a girl that's been around this entire trip. He mutters a sharp swear before turning his wrist to spin his light to match hers, the both together at least stunning the clawed monstrosity long enough for one of their beams to search out the face, a scream to make a second follow.

It staggers, and just to hurry it, Tidus makes a fist and small white lights gather around it, his SCA light wobbling when he throws out the quickest of thunder to shoot down from above its head.

But Tidus isn't getting comfortable, shouting to the girl after the crackling comes down, "Quick--check our backs!" to make sure they weren't immediately in danger again. And Tidus will follow her too, his hand balling up and being readied to turn with him, searching for any approaching danger.

[knifewithnoname]

Magic users weremuch more effective than knife wielding brats when it came to this style of fighting and she was relieved when lightning rained down from the sky. She nodded, spinning around to scan the darkness.

There.

"Another." She darted forwards, her SCA at the ready, to stop the charging monster from wanting to come any closer.

Special Guest Star, Peter Parker.

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ Day 9 ]

Okay so, his decision to leave the purple team and fine the red team turned out to be half-baked at best and disastrous (as much of his ideas typically are) at worst. He got out of the tunnels easy enough but then he realized he had no idea which direction to go. He decided on random direction and then realized he could probably use the SCAs to find someone.

So it's not until mid day nine that Peter Parker surfaces looking a little worse for wear. In all that time he hasn't rested or eaten a thing which with his metabolism as really, really taken a toll on him. But hey fellow reds! He's here. He's awesome. A little malnourished but he's fine.

aaaaaand

he's out.

He manages a small wave and then falls face first into the red sand.

[knifewithnoname]

She hadn't thought he would actually come and find her. After all she had no idea where she was so he had no hope. Also it was just a stupid idea.

Apparently she should never underestimate Peter's talent for stupid ideas. But after their conversation she had fallen asleep, then there had been more fighting, more digging, more walking, more fighting and not enough sleep.

It was a whole day later now and yet... Here he was. Waving and falling.

"Peter?" She jogged over, face flickering with something that might have been worry. If she were a person to worry about stupid spiderboys.

"Peter? Do you be being dead?"

He better not be dead. She knelt down next to him and tried to roll him over.

[hashtagparkerluck]

He rolls over and blocks the light with his arm and just groans.

"No, no, I'm not dead I'm just..." Dead. Oh man is he exhausted. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine." He waves it off with a flop of his wrist.

"Here." He disconnects his left web shooter. "I ust refilled it so like... should be good. I'm gonna take a nap."

[knifewithnoname]

"You can no be napping here Peter. This do no be a napping place."

Excuse her whilst she stares at him in quiet horror. He had come out here... To give her a webshooter?

She crouched down, trying to pull him up, at least to get him into the camp proper.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Look, Zetta wasn't very useful in a rescue situation. Or a resting situation. In fact, the way this whole thing was turning into a bigger adventure instead of just a gratuitous killfest was really starting to piss him off.

So when the bigger and brawnier monsters showed up, things got a lot better real quick. At first. But as they drew closer and closer, the fights became longer, harder, more tedious, and more annoying.

Not far from their target, with a veritable swarm of beasts out there in the fray and his minions determinedly stalemated against them, the book was hopping mad in midair back from where he was directing their battle.

"No! Hit the eyes! Stab them in the EYES! No, not the gonads! I don't care if they're the eyes of the abdomen! Just --" A minion shot by him, a resigned look on her face. "SPELL TO THE FACE! Why --" Crunch, and another minion went down. "FLAMING FINGERPOKE. TO THE FACE. WHY IS THIS SO--"

By this point, Zetta was down to exactly three minions -- his Prinnies, who were fantastically useless and had only survived to this point by leading the beasts through an elaborate chase sequence which looked more like it belonged in a Scooby Doo special than a battlefield. Fuming, the book let out a frustrated noise.

"All right! That is IT!" he shouted, a dangerous glow beginning to shine from his eyes. "I've had ENOUGH! ZETTA BEAM!"

Two beams of light shot out of the book's eyes, launching out to punch a glowing furrow into the ground in the middle of the light-hating beasts. For a split-second, it did absolutely nothing -- before the night lit up with an explosion that rivaled nuclear fury in its power, a blinding wall of light and force that rolled out from the impact point like the core of the world itself was venting its full force into the sky above.

It didn't actually hurt anyone nearby, though, no matter how much it seemed like it should. It was only an attack animation. Demons routinely threw planets into the sun and made the laws of physics weep in their attack animations, it was just how these things went.

As the force dimmed, leaving only a massive mushroom cloud curling into the sky before the light faded utterly, Zetta let out a huff and turned away from the now-empty battlefield.

"This mission isn't any damn fun any more."