middleofsomewhere | Not with a Bang: Finale

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Not with a Bang: Finale

It's been a strange few days, between trying to complete all of the tasks needed to stabilise the solar stations and keep the shield going, keep the pandas and armadillos away and fix robots whilst smashing other robots. That's not even counting the strange events that kept happening.

They might have heard the news from those who had found themselves on a small adventure of their own that there were potentially dangerous saboteurs on the planet and indeed once they were aware there were more signs, things moved, pandas far more frightened than they should have been, robots back in areas that had been cleared.

But no sign of the saboteurs themselves as the days go on. Until the evening of the twelfth day of Imagination, the sixth day of the mission.

Everyone's SCA alerts them to an exclamation mark, the Western Control Station, where red and blue had initially went to initialise shields. Clicking on the exclamation mark will show the message. Danger: Control Station unstable. Attempt stabilisation. Situation critical.

A few seconds later there is another exclamation mark, this time on a solar station about an hours walk to the south. A herd of Violet Pandas are loose in Solar station #13, clear the station and minimise damage.

And a few moments after that there is a third exclamation mark, right where they are in the camp. Robot activity approaching. Any red team members who check will see many red rots approaching their camp.

Control Station

For those that decide to tackle this one it is clear the moment they arrive that things are not as they should be. A tree has fallen, or been felled and though it seems the station is designed to withstand falling trees it makes getting into it difficult.

Every alarm is blaring, and indeed when they get inisde their own alarms on their SCA start to flash amber. It's dangerous in here!

Something they will quickly have learned anyways. It looks like someone pressed every button, flicked every switch. Every guage is showing too high, every warning light is flashing.

It's going to take some very quick fixing before this place overloads and explodes. Hopefully their work on the stations in the last few days has taught them enough that with some very quick and diligent work they should get the situation under control.

Solar Station #13

To the south in one of the solar stations a very different situation is unfolding. Those that arrive here will find pandas... everywhere. Somehow they have gotten into the station itself and are busy chewing on wires, exploring machines they really shouldn't be exploring. Some are trying to climb the solar tower and others are just lying on the monitors, seemingly enjoying the lights.

Luckily it seems less damage can be done to the solar stations than a control station, but still, there are alarms and flashing lights and far too many pandas. It will be some work to clear them all out.

Base Camp

It doesn't take long for the robots to arrive. There are a lot, some seem very patched together, as if someone had gone around scavenging parts and remaking them. Some are large terraforming machines, others the smaller security drones. Some are even the automatons that were used for maintenance, yet here they were being put to another purpose.

As they approach the permitted of the camp they stop and six human figures step forward. All are armed with large rifle type weapons and a tall woman speaks in a loud, clear voice.

"You are trespassing on our land. You will leave this place or you will die."

She casually waves the robots forward, they attack.

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As Spot shares the results of his findings, Dairine gives a grim smile. At last! Results!

...Except she's kinda stuck being the shield wall here. Playing the defense sucks, but now's not really the time to whine about it. With a slight huff, she pulls out her SCP.

"I need a small party to check these coordinates. The signal controlling these robots should be there." Hopefully her voice isn't too muffled with the chaos, but then again, that might be an advantage. Don't want to let the attackers onto them.

Meanwhile, she's going to follow her sister's advice. Her shield holding steady, Dairine charges up what looks like a live bolt of lightening in her hand. Once ready, she chucks the electric bolt straight at the saboteurs.

Showing up late, Ichigo drew his mask down with one hand as he saw all the wounded. He wanted to fight, but there was triaging to do first. And it looked like Eva was the wrist off.

Hurrying to her side, and Ken's since he was holding her, Ichigo drew Zangetsu from his back. The white strip of cloth coming off of it extended on its own, and he tore sections off to use as bandages. "Hang in there, Eva-san. I need to wrap your injuries before we get you back to the train."

Wei Wuxian was deeply grateful for both Lightning (and Odin) and to Curufin. His hands stung a lot, not to mention other parts of his body, but he kept playing.

As the sky cleared and the sun came out, the darkness that wrapped around him, the tendrils reaching out to everyone there, became more obvious. There was a lot of Resentful Energy in the area, it felt like. Who knew pandas lived such lives of desperation. Or it could be the psychic remains of those who had lived here previously. Either way, it was very helpful.

He kept up the music, ignoring the blood streaming into one eye from one now gone sentry bot. He was glad he hadn't died, Lan Wangji would have been very upset with him. But Wei Wuxian, among his many abilities and faults, was very, very stubborn. If his music was helping people, then he was going to keep playing, no matter what.

But he did hear the comments over the SCA from Dairine, and some of the tendrils started moving toward the jungle in the direction indicated.

"Take cover!"

The fire isn't enough of course, but Roland knew coming into this that the fight won't be so easy. The spray of bullets is impossible to go unnoticed, and the higgledies can't deflect any of that at all; Roland is hit slightly, bullets scratching and cutting, but he evades major damage with a timely roll and run maneuver. The shield is still up, but Nita's message on the SCA is well-received. So is Dairine's, his earbuds connected to the networking flaring to life.

So it's a war of attrition, huh? Fine. They'll drain that robot yet. Roland shouts out when things stabilize, brandishing his sword to grab attention. He messages back to Dairine and is on the move at once, but not before his higgledies disperse, protecting and giving power to those who are injured: Eva, being tended to by Ichigo; Wei Wuxian trying his best to grab a moment of vulnerability; even Curufin and Zechs who are on the offense. Anyone they can reach, the higgledies will lend them bravery, strengthening their desire to defend most of all.

"Offensive fighters on the field, don't let up on the two!" Weaken the shield, until they could find the source - which he couldn't scream out loud lest the saboteurs stop this sub-unit from mobilizing too.

Edited 2020-11-26 05:37 (UTC)

Having helped Lightening and Odin protect Wei Wuxian against the little bots attacking him, Curufin is a bit more satisfied that he's done something useful.

He hears Dairine's SCA message and responds after Roland does.

Lightening and Odin will keep protecting Wei Wuxian, so Curufin can go and help elsewhere.

Edited 2020-11-26 07:52 (UTC)

At the Terra Spider, an onslaught of attacks ensue in an accidental form of teamwork. Dancer's flames meet with the rippling effect of the Spider's previously seen shielding, the same that activates upon Princess's Mega Punch. It washes far and across the canvas of the machine, absorbing the great impact of the attack, bringing on a blue colouration. Sigma's gravitational pressure is next, along with the pressurised weather fists of Weather Report's attacking spread between two points.

There is a thrumming that can be heard, over that of what already echoes within the steel chamber of the beast. The shielding is being forced to cover wider sections of its body, shown as the blue-coating spreads and even covers the section where its laser had fired from before to great effect.

It hasn't yet made an attack. Can it do nothing but defend when targeted all at once?

Elsewhere, the side of the field with the saboteurs was hot, in more ways than one. The two saboteurs had long moved out of the higgledy fire, yet too busy keeping an eye on themselves to focus on any particular attack. But as the gyarados hologram appears, it does trick one of the saboteurs to take aim, becoming distracted. However, one of the saboteurs and it robot isn't, and notices those going towards the jungle. The saboteur moves faster than the robot, scrambling to follow the group, shooting after them! Is it a good idea to allow that robot to follow? But then, is the robot only a distraction?

Thea's arrows hit any automatons trying to follow. Some are only stunned temporarily, but a shot at the distracted saboteur will get him to whirl around, try and search for her, rifle out to try and take a shot if anyone is to be seen! It's also a decent target for Princess to go for, if the pokémon doesn't pursue the less human Sabo Bot Eva's fellow voidtreckers!

For those following the signal, they will be met with a scattering of sentry bots that seem to be waiting for them. Protecting up ahead who appears to be the lone saboteur, holding what someone may be able to discern some sort of tablet device.

Cut the obstacles ahead, Curufin; decide if to target the stranded saboteur or to follow the rest of the voidtreckers into the jungle, Zechs. Everyone, keep up the attack!

"Kuro..saki-san?" It's his voice at least. "Can't- Need to stay. If I go-" It's rasped and painfilled, even as she's trying to place why Ichigo's reminding her of some of the figurines Satoru owns. Later. Later. She can think about it later, after they deal with the battle. "They'll come with me-"

Her pokemon. She means her pokemon.

Dancer lines up another Revelation Dance, little more than a dancing, firey bird in the sunny sky now, while Princess whips around, eyes glowing pink as Telekinesis takes hold of the saboteur and her rifle, lifting them several feet into the air. A target who can't escape for anyone who wants it.

Just because he won't hurt a human, doesn't mean he's not above enabling it.

Lele keeps up the hologram - managing to add in another gyarados -this one smaller, but no less ferocious in appearance- as it fails to reset its targeting systems.

Edited 2020-11-26 10:34 (UTC)

So much for leaving the battlefield undetected.

The shot from the rifle doesn't hit Roland or Curufin, but it draws their attention. He looks back, then looks ahead; and there's no time to waste. They're close now, by the jungle clearing coming into sight. Even from the distance where Roland stands, he can see the wall of incoming sentries, a whole bunch of them ready to shoot lasers. This was going to be a tricky pincer attack that'll put their unit at a disadvantage, so Roland stops running and calls out to the elf in question.

"Curufin, we need to split up! Go after it! Take care of the sentries! I've got your back!"

Because a saboteur was bridging that distance, and he's ready to deal with him one way or another. Retribution. He wants to fight with a gun? So be it. The pistol in his hand glows into reality, the sword returning to the arms band. Roland's already exhausted, the blast from Bambosh draining his reserves almost completely. But no, he's got a bit more left. He'll get this done, before retreating for an ether or two. Then back again.

"You wanna draw, partner?" He mutters dangerously low, aiming the barrel of his gun now thrumming with darkness, like a purple haze covering the caliber. "Then reach for the sky." He shoots Heavy Ammo at the saboteur at the cost of getting a direct hit from their shot, straight to his bicep - but he knows there's no escaping for his assailant. The attack is magically enhanced, gravity-bound to pull the saboteur and anything around him down to the ground in a sphere that submerges him in pitch black. All he needs to do is immobilize him, and they're one saboteur down. How many more to go?

Nevermind that he momentarily forgets the robot, also gaining speed...

Edited 2020-11-26 10:36 (UTC)

With Odin on protection duty, he switches from thunder to white magic, green light pouring down on Wei Wuxian in a move usually meant to fully restore his l'Cie partner. The magic sparks and hisses as it encounters the tendrils of resentful energy, its effectiveness lessened as it clashes with a power antithetical to itself, but enough reaches the man's body to do some good.

Lightning, on the other hand, has sprinted to the Spider, and Emporio's strike is quickly joined by a rain of Thunder spells and bullets at Ken's shouted command. The humming, though-- that has her wary. She traces a path from her chest to her eyes, misty white magic following her fingertips, and casts Libra. How damaged is the Spider? How long until the shield gives out or overloads? Where should they be targeting?

More importantly,

"Emporio, get off of there!"

"Huh?" Emporio isn't really on the robot, so much as on Weather themself- it's enough to draw confusion from him, even as the Stand continues railing away with the punches. "Off...Weather?"

Well. Even if she's worried about the thunder spells hitting the kid, Weather's at least got that covered- lightning is part of the domain of 'the weather' after all, so he can rather soundly dissipate that if it gets too close!

Edited 2020-11-26 12:30 (UTC)

It’s a cold way of looking at things. Perhaps. But most everyone in this fight was a lot more powerful than he was. And if he was watching the action correctly, their Red Team leader could slowly heal injuries.

So, sneaking, he’d follow Roland, Curufin, and whoever else was going to the saboteur in the jungle. Avoiding the robot following them, avoiding the sentries in between. They would draw their fire. They would grab the attention of the saboteurs, and cause a terrific distraction.

This would allow Zechs to threaten and capture the stranded saboteur. If that tablet could remotely disable any of the robotic enemies ...

Thea was still hidden but decided to take the opening given by Princess. But as a clue to it being her she aims a single arrow to the privates, yes this is her way of getting some payback at Eros if just a little. But she takes the shot before adding another volley to give the others a bit more time to dispatch goons. "Gotta restock post mission." meaning arrows as she grabs some left unguarded to add to her own supply.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

What a cool opener upon entering a boss battle, that only Wei Wuxian and Odin might hear from where everyone currently is, was, going - an opening joined by a cast ofwaterga at the Sabo Bot, if he can get it to hit in time. A large gathering sphere of water that bursts, possibly catching the saboteur, boosted by the higgledy of water with him now.

He'll do a sweeping check for any automatons or sentries that might be around if he has the opportunity, especially when one guy on the tunes. Sorry Princess, he's too far to play with that one guy you got!

The saboteur that had been startled and stayed behind instead of following their partner and the machine will find themselves in quite the bubble with Princess's Telekinesis. Their shield activates upon the power, an instantaneous activation, but there's nothing that the grunt can apparently do about their situation with Princess's psychic energy surrounding it. However, there's a glowing blue colouring showing on their shield, and they're not still inside the thing as they appear to scramble and mess with something on their wrist. Thea's arrow bounces off the bubble without much added effect, but a second after there is a crackling around the shield, both it and the telekinesis dropping them to the ground.

They grab for the rifle, moving to take shot at Princess. But will Princess be quicker?

Near the entrance into the woods, Tidus's water is met with the Sabo Bot's shield, which crackles with electricity, but gets the machine to stop in its pursuit. It turns around, a panel at the front opening up - and from within, it sprays out a laser volley like a gatling gun like before, shooting out anyone still in the area! Such as Tidus, Princess, Wei Wuxian, Odin, and anyone else that may be approaching.

Roland has the saboteur behind him and Curufin's attention. Met with a smirk, the saboteur takes the shot, and is preparing to run, no need to have close combat with a rifle. Except Roland's attack doesn't give them the chance: as with Princess's telekinesis, the saboteur's shielding activates, but that doesn't stop them from the gravitational pull, nor a way to rid the darkness. They have been immobilised, for the time being - or possibly the rest of the fight.

As Zechs makes his way using the cover of the trees - and there will be distance between himself and the saboteur, the trees large and thick. The saboteur is mostly watching the fight of the sentries, sometimes taking looks around it, but not long enough to take anything in. A shot before pounced off the shield of the saboteurs. Will Zechs risk one now, or risk moving in to the target, and trying another method?

As for those around the Terra Spider, Lightning's namesake comes crashing down - but watch out for Dancer, up there in the sky waiting to take their next attack! The blue of the machine's shield is getting more translucent, energy snapping around it. The figure of it is becoming more smeared within its shell, and the thrumming gets louder.

And then a beeping starts.

Just as Zechs, and possibly Curufin, will hear coming from the saboteur's device.

"I at least need to get you stabilized, then. So stop moving." Ichigo growled a little at Eva, putting his focus on her extremities for the moment. He was working as quickly as he could, while kicking himself for never making anyone teach him healing kidou.

His shield is holding; it seems none of the remaining robots are targeting Eva or Ken. Good.

That solved, he doubles down on the terra spider. It has not yet given out; the ground is firmer than expected, or the robot is hardier. Nonetheless, gravity is an inexorable force; a shield will not stop his powers, and what goes up must come down-

And this robot has been up for far too long.

Sigma pours what focus he can into the terra spider, dragging its center of gravity ever downwards with all the determination and singlemindedness of a brilliant scientific mind, all the rage of a shield tank with an injured teammate, and all the urgency of someone who understands that an enemy robot suddenly beginning to beep is a bad omen. It is only a matter of time until either the ground gives way under the robot or its legs buckle under the ever-increasing pressure; all he needs to do is keep the pressure on and hope that time is soon.

"Away from the machine," she snaps, abrupt in her concern. Perhaps if the lightning was natural, he and Dancer might have been in danger, but the bolts start just above the Spider's chassis, crackling down and across the shield in flares of gold, purple and blue. The shield that, as far as her scanning spell can determine, is at perhaps twenty percent of its power.

She still doesn't like the sound coming out of it.

"One last push!" Her voice raises, as the mist of Libra clears. She's suddenly, unnervingly aware that some of the people here have never seen a combat mech before, and don't know what to expect. "That beeping could be a self-destruct! Take it down!"

Her casting resumes, bolt after bolt slamming into the shield.

Odin, meanwhile, skids around to face the bot's fire, and sets his great shield with a roar of magic. The edges blaze white in a great barrier, and lessen the laser fire spraying towards Wei Wuxian, and perhaps Tidus and Princess, should they be quick.

Meanwhile.

Zechs seemed to be unnoticed for now, and wasn’t certain if the shield was up and running. No, if he fired, he would give away his position and possibly scare off the target.

So, instead. He came around from behind, and was prepared to grapple the enemy instead. Maybe he’d just bodily bounce off the shield - it might distract the saboteur from using that tablet. If they tried to run back into the jungle, he could impede them.

Or, the saboteur could clearly interact with the environment and manipulate objects. Perhaps a grapple would work, not being a projectile sort of weapon. What technology here was rational? Zechs had been training to improve his skills at hand to hand - and he could subdue the target for questioning.

Edited 2020-11-26 20:36 (UTC)

Lasers, bright flashes of light that really hurt when they hit you. Wei Wuxian was very glad they didn't have those back on his world. Arrows sucked enough.

He continued to play, to supply others with the energy to do the flashy stuff he couldn't, like take down the Spider bot. But he did play with one hand for a moment as he quickly threw out some talismans he'd pre-made for protection. If that thing was going to blow, he needed to protect his friends. He was tired of losing friends.

Ichigo's here. That's....That's good. Ken will hold Eva as steady as he can for the doctor to work. Part of him wants to contradict Ichigo, insist on getting Eva out of here, but - who's he to speak up and risk distracting someone who has clearly made a decision he's better in a position to make than Ken?

Ken's as tense as if he were the one doing the operating, though.

Stingmon, noting the shield protecting Ken and Eva, zips forth to continue the fight. In a brilliant (?) display of shounen action heroism over brains, he's moving to intercept the laser fire targeting his comrades by...bouncing it off his Spiking Finish spikes. Assuming he is fast enough.

This seemed like a good idea in the moment.

Curufin chose to follow Roland and Zechs into the brush, and when they were attacked by the sentry bots and Roland shouted to him to take care of them, he did.

He launched himself at them, sword whirling and flashing with energy, slicing and chopping them into halves and bits.

He had to let the others deal with the saboteur, though he would very much have liked to do it himself. He'll be ready to help as soon as the sentry bots are wiped out.

And then he heard the loud beep coming from the saboteur's device. What was that? A warning?

Eva does her best to hold still, even as she flinches when sounds of gunfire finally make it through the haze cold that has become her mind. The flinch sets off shivers, and she really wants to sleep, but that would be bad, wouldn't it. Bad bad bad as these are people with guns and she needs to be awake to help stop them-

Princess's yelp is high pitched and pain as the fairy-type is hit by a bullet, blood dripping down the now useless wing and staining the pink fur around his shoulder. Far from retreat as would be sensible, the pokemon's response is to lob yet another Moonblast in his attacker's direction and then move in for an Icy Wind.

By this time, Dancer isn't look to crash hot either. Yet it doesn't stop her from dropping into a Swords Dance, the aerial dance more heat shimmer and ember flickers that strangely almost resemble swords, and then she starts another, far more complicated baile dance: Burn Up, feathers alight with fire as she dives at the Terra Spider. The fire seems to start about a centimetre from her body, and embers briefly trail her, but they fizz and fade about a foot or so away.

Lele's targeting system seems to reset and the porygon2 drops the holograms as its eyes light up, bright pink against neon green, the psychic energy of the Psycho Shock literally manifesting into several bright pink petals, that then slice through the air and slam into the closest enemy.

But, even with the pokemon still attacking and her protests she's needed on the field, it's likely wise to get Eva out of there... and now.

Cassie had found herself held up, far from the action. She'd been cursing to herself the entire flight back. So naturally, she can't claim to be particularly up to speed.

But she's pretty sure the giant fuck-off spider that everyone's shooting against is bad. As is the fact that it's currently beeping.

She hovers above it, hurling balls of green shadow energy from above and around it. And more than that, waiting for an opportunity to let loose with a crushing blow.

Electricity still isn't coming near to him- and Weather makes for a strong barrier- but before he can protest to Light's shout, the beeping begins.

One last shove, and Weather Report seems to dissipate and de-materialize, launching Emporio far back into the air as he narrowly gets his glider out. Apparently launching the boy a few hundred meters into the air is a perfectly viable protection method now, and Weather is more than pleased to deliver it.

Just in time too, he thinks, as a mass of green energy is hurled down upon it. He could handle lightning, however magic it must have been (he thinks so at least), but who knows with that stuff!

Edited 2020-11-27 00:33 (UTC)

Dairine sends another electric bolt at the saboteur, but not before they shoot Eva's Pokemon. Her face pales but stays determined.

Then the beeping starts.

"Ah, crud!" she mutters under her breath. "Spot, can you tell what they're doing? Analyze!" Mentally she sends him the specifics of her request, to scan for whatever the beeping might entail. But Dairine isn't about to wait for answers before making her move.

She strengthens her shield spell before checking the battlefield to see if there's a position she could cover more people. Unfortunately, not really, and Eva is definitely not in a state to move. So instead she shouts out to the others.

"Prepare to take cover!" Will they get closer? Or use the other barrier? Dairine can only hope they can avoid making even more work for the healers.

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CW Arrow to Privates

fights 1 robot, as a treat

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cw: heavy bloodloss, pokemon injury

A Late Arrival

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