Operation Icarus - Stratacombs

[shockingblue]

Who: Gunvolt, Desidera, Vivi, Lia, Ky, Puella, Adelaide, Rex
What: An operation to rescue captured Candles from Sumeragi captivity and exploitation as part of Project Prometheus, and the destruction of the backup servers for Project Monarch.
When: December 8th
Where: A remote, mountainous region of Japan, in the Sumeragi hidden facility codenamed Stratacomb.
Warnings: Blood, Violence, Language, imagery of abuse/exploitation/torture, and just general bad stuff related to fighting.



Briefing

After the conclusion of Operation Anthem about one month prior, Monarch, Sumeragi's state of the art Candle-detecting AI Core and virtual idol, had been rescued by Daybreak's and QUILL's forces at her pleading. In her gratitude, she had provided a significant amount of data to both Daybreak and QUILL on two of the Sumeragi Group's most clandestine projects: Project Prometheus and Project Monarch, the latter of which served the former. The data in question proved to be impossibly valuable, both to QUILL and the Academy, revealing the sheer depths of depravity that Sumeragi was involved in, and the sheer scope of the planning involved in Project Prometheus; that is, the corporation's top secret plan to exploit the powers of Candles for financial, political, and general power-grabbing gain. Monarch's information provided enough leads to pinpoint the location of one of Sumeragi's most hidden and nefarious labs, nestled deep in the rural mountains of Japan, well away from common view.

With its location now discovered, Daybreak and QUILL hurriedly joined forces once more, for an even more serious and urgent mission than Operation Anthem. Asimov once again returned to the Academy, heading a briefing of the volunteers to this mission. Gunvolt had once again been asked to participate in this mission by QUILL, and accompanying him to the briefing was Monarch herself. The AI Core itself was a mythril sphere with a few blinking lights, a hovering system, and a lens for displaying things as a hologram. The Core kept close to Gunvolt or Desidera, hovering near and around their shoulders pretty much at all times, though it displayed a hologram of her human form as well; a young, attractive, curvy young woman with blonde hair and blue-green eyes. Her outfit was clearly something for a stage show; mostly deep black, but accented with vivid and bright oranges and stark whites; digital butterfly wings behind her fluttered in the same pattern as the insect that was her namesake. She made for quite a standout for the seriousness of the occasion, but despite her showiness, Monarch remained serious and focused on the matters at hand.

The briefing this time took place in one of the larger and more important presentation rooms at the Academy, and Asimov once again stood at the fore with a projector screen behind him. His expression, such as could be read with those sunglasses on, looked more stern than the last time. He spared glances around the room at his volunteers, greeting everyone he'd seen before with a solemn, serious nod. The one exception to that was Gunvolt himself, who was the only one who got even the faintest hint of a relieved smile. This was a big one, that much was clear, and Gunvolt sat silently, waiting for Asimov to begin, his blue eyes focused like a laser.

First of all, thank you all for coming, for volunteering. I know I've seen some of you before, so I have zero doubt of your abilities, and I am relieved to see capable hands return. ...To say this mission is critical would be to understate it incredibly." Asimov's voice was still as deep and commanding as ever. "Thanks to Monarch and in large part to many of you, we have a chance to save a lot of innocent lives, as well as hammer the first nail into Sumeragi's coffin. Project Prometheus' headquarters has been located, and it is where numerous victims of Sumeragi's Candle exploitation are being held. And by fortune, that secure laboratory is the same place that Sumeragi has kept the backups and data from Project Monarch. Striking there will allow us to liberate many people, as well as prevent Sumeragi from resuming Project Monarch by building another AI Core."

"It took Sumeragi several months to build me, and that was with concerted effort and great cost. Even though they have some of my AI backed up, making my core was a tough process. Erasing, destroying, or stealing their servers will make sure they can't deploy another one of me any time soon. Another core is useless without the data to put into it."

Asimov's face eased a little, looking less severe after Monarch spoke.

"Well said. Now then, the matter of the laboratory is something we have to cover." Asimov pressed a button on his remote, with the projector screen flickering to life. The picture it revealed was... ominous. Nestled and built into a mountainside, was a spire painted in black, with no distinctive markings on it, save for a handful of plain looking letters painted here and there near what look like helicopter landing pads. Those dotted the parts of the spire that actually looked like a building built outside the cliff face. "This is the station that Sumeragi has codenamed 'Stratacomb.' ...It even looks as ominious as it sounds. If you will allow me to editorialize, they really do have a lock on the whole 'evil corporation' image. But before I get off topic, I would like to address our targets within the Stratacomb."

Another press from the remote moved the image forward, creating two pictures, one showing the top of the spire, and one toward the base of it... though focused more underground than above. Two green circles mark points of interest in both pictures, though the circle on the bottom is marked with a pointed "?" symbol. Asimov pointed to both with a laser pointer, and continued speaking.

"The top of the tower is where we believe the Monarch servers are located. An initial recon flight by one of Daybreak's stealth Rune Wings suggests there is a strong heat signature and energy reading there; much like we would expect from many servers linked together. Unfortunately, that part of the tower is heavily armored, and cannot be breached with most weaponry without causing too much attention and response. Too many explosions is going to get a lot of attention, so even punching our way in close to the Server Room is an unwise idea." Asimov hesitates for a moment, and his expression darkens considerably. "Conversely, we have down below... in the bowels of the facility, is where we have reason to believe the hostages and captive Candles are being held and experimented upon. QUILL's intelligence network has confirmed that Sumeragi makes allusions to these labs in official reports, and we have cracked enough of it to decipher that it is likely underground."

"Sounds like something Moniqa probably picked up on," Gunvolt added, half asking Asimov if he was right.

"Sure was. We're lucky to have her. She put in a lot of hours analyzing all of that intelligence. With that known, we will need a strike team to get to the lower levels, neutralize security, and get those Candles out of there by any means necessary. We don't know just how deep underground you need to go, and therefore, we run into the same problem we did with the top of the tower. You cannot infiltrate in by blowing a hole into the building. So instead, we have developed another plan.

Our team at QUILL have developed an illusionary device for one of our dropships to make it look and pass for a Sumeragi one. IFF spoofing included. It's quite a piece of work. We will use that to get close to the facility and land at this helipad here." The laser pointer drew a circle around one of the larger helipads, relatively central to the building. "It'll be a quiet touchdown, if all goes as planned. You'll be able to get inside from there, and then you can start raising hell once you're there. You will split into two teams, one heading to the servers up high, one to the depths below. Security in this facility is tight, as you might expect, and Sumeragi have many of their best troops stationed here. However, most of them are still largely mundane, and not unlike the ones you faced during Operation Anthem. Expect them to be better equipped to fight back, but most of the personnel on site should not be able to stop you all from doing what you need to do once inside.

And before you ask about the security systems, we've got you covered. Thanks again to Monarch, we've learned much about how the security in several Sumeragi facilities works, and we have installed a jammer on another of our QUILL aircraft. It will be operating in the airspace, and should jam most of the automated defenses, door locks, and other countermeasures from going off. It won't be foolproof, but it will certainly be enough to throw everything into disarray. As well, the jamming field will block incoming and outgoing Sumeragi communication; once the operation starts, the Stratacomb will be cut off from Sumeragi communications networks. Only allied frequencies will work in there, and it should prevent a coordinated counterattack on both infiltration teams, giving you plenty of initiative advantage. That leads to objectives.

Team Alpha will take the destruction of the servers, Team Bravo will see to rescuing the Candles. Once Team Bravo has secured the captives, several of Daybreak's Runewings will be on standby to land at any appointed helicopter pad. We expect there to be anywhere from twenty to fifty Candles, some of which might be in bad shape. If necessary, additional QUILL and Daybreak operatives will deploy into the facility to secure it and ensure safe extraction of the Candles. Such an event may take quite some time, but the jamming field should buy us enough time to get away before Sumeragi mounts a counterattack. Daybreak's Runewings will be equipped with medical staff and supplies to treat the injured as a form of triage as well. A complex mission, but I believe those here can complete it. If Team Alpha finishes their objective early, they are to descend into the basement and assist Team Bravo.

However, there is one possibility in this mission that cannot be accounted for, and could feasibly pose a threat."

"...I don't like the sound of that."

Monarch's hologram looked over to Gunvolt, her face filled with worry, even a bit of dread. "...You'll like it even less when you hear what it is, GV."

In the meantime, the projector turns off, and Asimov continues.

"The crown jewel of Sumeragi's Project Prometheus: Glaive Soldiers. When Sumeragi find exceptionally powerful and gifted Candles, they may become candidates for the Glaive Soldier program... of which we know very little about. And what we do know is disturbing. What we do know is that very few candidates actually survive the program to completion... and those that do become weaponized, brainwashed soldiers for Sumeragi that are incredibly dangerous. You may remember the encounter you had with the Mantis tanks on the trains? Glaive Soldiers are powerful enough to make those look like toys. The good news is, we do know there are very, very few Glaive Soldiers active. Fewer than ten total. The only reports we have about them in action report that they are clad in runic-powered armor; mostly black. We do not have intel on specifics, but should you encounter one, expect them to put up real resistance. And do not expect them to surrender; they will likely fight to the death. Their presence is an unknown, but a risk we will have to take for this op. I would advise to prepare for heavy combat, in the event that one might be present."

"...You were right, Monarch, I definitely don't like the sound of that."

"Don't worry, I'll be there to keep you safe from any of them, GV."

"...You're actually planning on going? Are you sure?"

"I must advise against tha--"

"My mind's made up. I'm going. But there's real reason why you'll want me to. Though you have a jamming field to deal with some of the worst security measures, I can deal with anything else that might require a local touch. I am, at the very least, very familiar with Sumeragi computer protocols. I won't be a burden... and I might be able to help another way too. Just... trust me, okay?"

"She makes a good point, Asimov..."

"...She does. Keeping her safe will be your responsibility, GV. Now then, I am sure you all have questions. Like before, I am open to answer anything you might want to ask me."

[OOC: There will be an Ending Thread posted on either 12/9 or 12/10, giving an opportunity for denouement from this mission. More specifics about rescuing the prisoners and the fallout of the operation. Check back for that.]

Comments

A - Briefing Questions

[shockingblue]

[Similarly to before, Asimov is available to answer any briefing or intelligence based questions if asked. Gunvolt can be requested as well too, as can Monarch, seeing as how she is present.

Simply say who you want in the tag, and I'll give them to you.]

[unlogic]

[Just like during the briefing for the previous mission, Desidera feels as though she's getting a different look from Asimov than most of the others present. This time, however, with how well things had gone before, and having no reason to actually suspect that she's being judged or anything of the sort, she writes it off as mostly just feeling a little nervous, having a few worries about if things might go wrong this time, maybe.

Hearing the warning about the Glaive Soldiers and the direct comparison to the Mantis tanks, one of which Desi and GV had almost effortlessly destroyed, is a bit concerning, with that comparison making the obvious implication that these soldiers would be capable of keeping up with them in a fight—or maybe even surpassing them. (Asimov had probably been told about that particular Mantis, too; there's almost no way GV wouldn't have included it in his report after they had gotten back, since it would have indicated the sort of resistance Sumeragi was willing to put up at the time.)]

So QUILL doesn't have any specific information about them, but— hey. [Desi nudges Monarch's core while it floats there next to her, just enough for the AI to register it as possibly the closest thing she can get to a shoulder-poking, to recognize that she's being addressed now.] Do you know anything about them from when you were still being held?

[shockingblue]

[The hologram looked back at her, and put a finger to her chin in thought.]

Not much of their specific capabilities. I've never seen one fight, and I never had access to any data pertaining to their battle prowess. All I have in terms of data is the relative strength of various Candles my radar located. Candles I located with more developed Radiance were much more likely to be candidates for that part of Project Prometheus.

...I don't think I need to say what that means. The powerful ones with useful abilities were candidates... and if they survived, that means they're incredibly strong.

[She straightens back up, but looks apologetic.]

Beyond that, all I know is from time to time, one of them was on security detail when I was being moved from place to place in Japan. I only ever saw him directly once, considering most of the time I was in that awful box. His armor was black and red, and he had a shock of bright red hair. He swore a lot, and a lot of Sumeragi soldiers thought he was a loose cannon.

...He gave me the creeps.

[unlogic]

So even they think he's dangerous? [Well. That's kind of concerning.

... Wait.] And they occasionally had him as part of your security? What do you think the chances are that we'll find him?

[shockingblue]

They do. Glaive Soldiers are essentially always on a leash, but I've heard whispers from the grunts that making one angry is usually met with a trip to the infirmary.

[Monarch blinks at the second question, and then paused for a moment; almost unnaturally. The hologram actually all but halted that suggested she might've frozen up.

Just before it looked like something might actually be wrong though, the hologram's movement restores, looking more natural again.]

...Calculations based on Sumeragi's general security policies and the value of the project suggests the odds that particular soldier might be there at about 64%.

Put more plainly? I wouldn't be surprised if he was.

[hattersgonnahat]

All of this went well beyond what a ten, recently eleven year old mind could process. No matter how much she tried to follow. She signed up for the task simply because there had been Candles that needed rescuing, something she easily had feelings about. And at least that part she understood well enough from the bigger words.

"...Why would anyone wanna kidnap Candles? They're supposed to be saving the world."

Their responsibilities were already very hard as is. Puella seems very upset about this for multiple ways.

[shockingblue]

Asimov glances over to Puella. In truth, he had a lot of misgivings in allowing her to participate in this mission for how dangerous it was. But she was a Candle, and was known well enough to be capable...

The commander's face softened, and his tone grew more gentle.

"...Sadly, there are some bad people in this world that do not understand that. They believe the world does not need Candles, and instead look at them as bad, just like the daemons we must all fight."

[hattersgonnahat]

"Bad?" Hearing that was like as though Puella had just found out someone drowned her puppy. After all the things Candles had to do and sacrifice, that there would be people out there, humans, that had the gall to hate them. Given how much the academy loved to make it seem like their survival rate solely depend on how well the Candles do, no matter how much outside help they got.

"But I--...I've never done anything bad!"

But that is just how some humans are, aren't they? They don't like anything that's different from them. That's why they hated all things daemon, or fae, or dead. But...she was human too. She's not a freak!

She's not a freak...

[shockingblue]

"I know you haven't. And everyone here knows you've been good."

Asimov sighs, slowly massaging his temples with his hand, before straightening his sunglasses.

"...Which is why we're going to stop these people from hurting innocent Candles. Why we're going to help free them. In doing so, there will come a time when we can stop it from happening."

B - Battle in the Base

[shockingblue]

[Like Operation Anthem, this section is for battling through grunts and resistance on the way to your objectives. Timelines do not have to match up, this section, like before, is mostly meant for fun, looking awesome, and making Sumeragi goons look like total jobbers.

Which they are. Tagging is freeform, but if you need me to NPC goons, leave a note in the top level and I will happily provide. Go wild.]

C - Server Team Boss Fight (GV/Desidera/Lia/Vivi)

[shockingblue]

Just before Team Alpha manages to reach the server room, they come into a large chamber beforehand; honestly, it looked like this huge room was designed to be a hold-out position. More obviously meant to be a place for Sumeragi's soldiers to dig in to protect the servers; unfortunately for Sumeragi, it looked mostly empty and abandoned thanks to the chaos caused by the jamming fields. There looked to be plenty of solid walls and cover, railings, and pillars too. But yet, it looked like it was easy enough to manuever through too; not too cramped, and reasonably spacious... though the pathway in through the main door was a flat space, likely meant as a kill zone. ...And the whole room looked empty, save for one figure, leaning up against one of the pillars at the edge of the kill zone; a young man, in urban camo pants, with a rather unbefitting fancy black and gold jacket on top.

"So you're the bastards making all the noise, aren't you? Must think you're real goddamn clever making it here. If you were anywhere else, I wouldn't give a shit. But here? But you're not goin' any further. No one's going to lay a finger on Monarch while I'm around. She will be reborn, and I'm going to make damn sure she's kept safe."

"And just who are you supposed to be?" Gunvolt cooly shot back.

The young man pushed himself off the wall, almost casually. "Name's Viper. Not that you'll need to remember it." He paused, finally getting a good look at who he was facing, looking over each individual in the crew. And his face twisted in rage and anger, almost on the spot. "Wait, you're the one... You're the ones that pinched Monarch in the first place!!"

With a loud scream, Viper erupted into a concealing pillar of flame, leaping from floor to ceiling. The heat was intense, almost unbearable, like it was coming from a volcano. When the fires died down and the smoke began to clear, his silhouette drastically changed. Clad in runic armor that thrummed with power, his eyes opened, revealing the telling black sclera and piercing red eyes. This is one of them. No doubt about it. One of Sumeragi's clandestine Glaive Soldiers.

"You homewreckers will die for taking her from me! I won't be satisfied until you're all smoking craters on the ground!"

Viper doesn't give much time for retort. The armor on one of his arms forms into a cannon, and he blasts off projectiles towards the group that will explode on impact, leaving explosions and flames that will linger for a period of time. Viper also wasn't one for giving much time to breathe, either, and those wheels attached to his feet would let him charge into the group, his front boot wreathed in flame as he tried to kick the nearest person he could.

[unlogic]

Fire creates light, and light means there will be shadows, and so Viper's initial assault with the explosive fireballs is doomed to failure when they're blocked by a solid wall of black, much like the initial attack that had been made by the Mantis that Desi and GV had encountered on the train.

And just like that, at least for the time being, most of his attention is on her.

Security footage taken from the train—no doubt the reason Viper had recognized the group in the first place—had shown the girl as having specifically accompanied GV throughout that entire mission, and that she was one of the first, if not the first, to approach Monarch when they made it to where she was being held. Thus, next to GV, as far as Sumeragi is concerned, she's one of the faces of this particular group, and also a very legitimate threat, seeing what the two of them had done to the Mantis they encountered.

Viper charges without so much as a second thought (much less a first), already blinded by his rage. Desidera only has enough time to protect herself, without much space or opportunity to try to counterattack, but she's not alone here; any of the others could step in while she has him distracted for the moment.

[alreadyhuman]

He doesn't think. As soon as Viper charges for Desidera, Vivi slams his bat into the nearest part he can reach (which, given how short he is, is more of an attempt to kneecap him than anything).

This would be a fairly negligible effort, given that a metal bat is still a metal bat and magical armor is magical armor, but Vivi remembers his science lessons. Ice suddenly, violently explodes from the bat as he pushes it to consume as much of Viper's body as he can.

Ice will melt in the heat and become water. Once it's water, it's easier to conduct lightning.

Of course, he's still a mage going into melee range, so Viper can still kick him or throw him away given at least one of his limbs work. Which he does, so Vivi skids away like a bowling ball being thrown for a strike. He mercifully doesn't hit a wall.

"I'm okay!" he shouts from the other end of the room. He's fine it's good. Bruised but he's good!

[buddinghopes]

... So, pistols and rapier. Not exactly the ideal weapons for taking on someone like Viper from the looks of that armor.

While Viper's focus is on Desidera, Lia aims her pistol... and then chucks it. It doesn't seem to be the smartest move until the gun shatters in mid-air, all shards heading right for Viper. Lia's not sure how effective that will be, but it's decent distraction as she jumps back, this time with a large hammer forming in her hands.

Not exactly a weapon she's trained with, but to her, it seems like it'll be more effective in this case.

Her gaze shoots over to Vivi as he skids back, but she's focused again as soon as he confirms he's okay.

1/2

[shockingblue]

Gunvolt dove to the side to avoid Viper's initial charge and scarcely had time to react to the Soldier's blistering speed. That armor looked like serious business, and whatever Sumeragi did to him really built him into one hell of a war machine. He couldn't make out the runes in the armor, but he could tell, they were of high caliber. Still, he didn't have time to gawk, not when Desidera was facing the brunt of Viper's attacks...

Though he watches in horror as his friend is kicked away in almost an instant.

"Vivi!!"

Fortunately, it looked like Lia's diversion dazzled the Soldier enough to keep him busy; it wasn't immediately clear how damaging it was, though. The water and steam dripping and curling off Viper gives him an idea. Throwing the full weight behind his flashfield, he manually directed a several bolts of lightning at Viper to get his attention and deal some damage at the same time. He follows it up with a few darts from his pistol, which he figured would add insult to injury.

[shockingblue]

"Get outta here, shrimp! You'll get your turn!"

Viper wasn't ready to deal with Vivi just yet. No, first, he was going to deal with this horned bitch. He hadn't bothered to read the reports; though a suit had rambled on about the team that was suspected to have stolen Monarch from him. He remembered that a daemonic looking girl was one of the first people who spoke to Monarch... and was one of the ones responsible for taking down a Mantis tank.

In his anger, Viper ignored the ice spell Vivi managed to hit him with, instead focusing his attacks relentlessly toward Desidera, lashing out with sharp kicks, and occasionally with his legs on fire, Radiance searing the air around him. Smoke and heat haze followed his movements, and he would only continue his onslaught if it were not for the distraction Lia provided, the shards pelting off his armor and face.

"Gah! What's this bul-- gah!"

Lightning surged through the Glaive Soldier, creating searing pain and threatening to overload his armor's defensive screens. But for now, they held, and the pinpricks from the Dart Leader barely fazed him.

"You're gonna fucking regret that!"

For now, Vivi was out of range and sight, but he wasn't done with the three that were close. He jukes away from the group, using the wheels on his heels to accelerate faster than a run, and pivoted his body around to fire more explosive rounds toward Lia, and with his other hand, summoned a pillar of flame underneath Desidera, primarily as a distraction. He then leapt into the air, and performed a flaming, diving charge kick at Gunvolt, which managed to connect and sent him careening away.

"You're all out of your league. No more candy-ass Sumeragi guards to play around with!"

D - Rescue Team Boss Fight (Ky/Puella/Adelaide/Rex)

[shockingblue]

Team Bravo made it down into the lowest levels of the facility, and down here? Something felt wrong. Very wrong. Down here was kept dim at best, and frequently dark. This part of the facility was not well kept, and was very obviously designed to be soul-crushingly miserable. Calling it a stereotypical evil lab wouldn't be too far off the mark; its stark lack of colors beyond whites, grays, and blacks made it feel sterile, yet the lighting made it feel oprressive. There look like there are several small side rooms that are laboratories... all empty, at the moment. None of the doors were locked, oddly, though maybe that was thanks to the jamming. The alert might hear a soft sobbing in one of the hallways further along, down and around a corner, deeper into the laboratory area. ...Probably where the holding cells would be.

Heading down that way, the team would find a young woman, dressed in a thin garment, clearly meant for test subjects. A quick look at her arms and legs would suggest she was subject to captivity and restraints, and was probably hooked up to some needles and other devices; and that she must've been removed from them forcibly. Perhaps by herself. To say she looked distraught and frightened would be understating it. If the team approached or made a noise, she'd look up at them, eyes flaring in terror.

"No! No, stay back! I-- I didn't mean to---" She pushed herself back and away from the team, scrambling back to her feet and looking defensive. "Please... stay away! I... ...Are you... you're not... you're not Sumeragi?" She still looked terrified, but her eyes pleaded to them, with the faintest light of hope. "Are... are you here to rescue us? T-the holding cells are in the back, just... just past the main lab. Th-that way. There's... a lot of us. Please. Help us. This place is..." She all but breaks down crying, and suddenly bolts down the hallway toward the lab. Even the wary would probably realize there's no other option but to follow her... especially when she lets out a blood-curdling scream.

Inside the lab, they'll find her backed into a corner, crying hysterically. The lab itself is broad, wide; with many pillars, and a latticework ceiling exposing pipes and other things; worse, there's all sorts of instruments, tables, and rather horrific looking machines all throughout the room. What their purpose is can only be deduced as sinister, even if it looks like most of them are kept relatively clean. But the lighting too in here, is quite dim, and so many things cast shadows, and the smell of foul chemicals hangs in the air like a miasma... and save for the girl's crying, there is no sound.

If someone approaches the girl, a trio of throwing knives, kunai, really, fly through the air from above with the intent to strike whoever unwittingly tried to offer the girl aid with their back turned. The source is from above. If no one triggers the ambush directly, the keen-eyed might catch something: Hanging upside down from the latticework though, is an ominous looking snake-like silhouette, and it will glow purple when clearly spotted... or when whoever was foolish enough to get struck realizes what happened. The glow will reveal the figure's advanced runic armor and augmentations; assuredly, this is one of the Glaive Soldiers.

"...Useless. You're so useless, all of you. Thinking you can play heroes in a place like this. This? This is Hell itself. Anyone who enters here... never leaves. No one, not ever. Not even me. Even when I escape and kill everyone here... I will still be living an eternal Hell." She carelessly spins a kunai in her hand, still hanging upside down from a runic-armored tail. "Sumeragi wanted our power... I am going to show it to them. And I will show it to everyone. They will get what they ask for..."

She takes no other offensive action yet, but she's clearly ready to be retaliated against... or to get started fighting at any time. Dropping your guard would be most unwise....

[heromedal]

Suddenly, Rex's dog-themed exo-muscle suit seems totally appropriate.

Rex assumes a) that the victim is a threat and b) an attack can come from anywhere at any time. He ranks the unfortunate girl a 6, which sounds high but he also ranks his teammates a 4. Except for Adelaide, she's a 3, the lowest anyone has ever gotten on his out of 10 danger rating system. That said, he has always struggled not to help people when they're right in front of him so, of course he's the first one to approach the girl and have the kunai launched at him. Thankfully, the 'ears' on his helmet aren't for show. He covers everything he makes in scanners. He does his best to make it look like a feat of reactions and dexterity as he ends up with the three kunai between his fingers, but it's as much his signature telekinesis spell as that. It's likely hard to tell with the way his cloak flaps

"...that's an unreasonable position," Rex says, as if this is some sort of boring office meeting. The ears of his helmet twist repeatedly, always keeping one pointed at the snake armoured girl and the other swapping between his teammates at the other experimental subject. Mostly so he's ready to cast supportive magic, but you never know. Any of them could try to kill him any second now. "It would be more logical to assist us."

Not that he's expecting her to actually listen to him. But always best to try.

[bejustorbedead]

"Good catch," Ky murmurs to Rex at the catch of Kunai as the many had drawn his sword in the same motion, but the tip pointed towards the ground - not raised but clearly ready if things get out of hand.

"Hell?" He repeats what she said, thoughtful and quiet. "You're right; even when one escapes it, there is something of that hell that will continue to haunt a person - though the fresh air, sunlight - they do some in weakening the pressure the lingering traces will have." His free hand touches where his crucifix lays under his shirt. "While he may be brusque about it, he isn't wrong that combining forces will be for the best - I've seen enough, this is a place that should not continue to exist - and the ones who inflict horror and pain will reap what they sow.

Once we're through - you're free to make your life as you will, but if wish, Daybreak Academy has a place for those who have no place to go, but that will be entirely your decision." Ky knew she had no reason to trust them, but he had to give that offer at the very least.

[transfusionem]

The first thing Adelaide notices about the room they've been led to is the girl in the snake-like armor, but before she can say anything about it Rex catches her attention. Which, really, is typical.

A living hell that won't stop even after getting revenge...? The words resonate with Adelaide, and she presses her lips together. She's not about to tell the girl that the best revenge is living well, because that's total bullshit, but...

"So you're just going to do what they want? They'd be happy if you stopped us, you know."

And, really, fuck those guys.

1/2

[shockingblue]

The armored figure hanging from the rafters remained there, looking between each member of the team before them, a critical, harsh, domineering glint in her eyes. The kunai in her hand that she so carelessly twirled was still there... but she wasn't ready to throw it just yet.

"Logic flew out the window four days ago, kid." Her tone is bitter, spiteful, and yet, totally in control. "If you all had gotten here then.... well, maybe I'd be more of a mind to listen. That's why you're all useless. What good's the cavalry when it arrives too late?!"

The tail holding her in the rafters curled back up, pulling her up into the latticework where she could stand upright. She looked down at them with scorn.

"I'll bet you don't even know what Glaiving does to someone. But you're about to find out."

Denouemont...?

[shockingblue]

Most of the security had been dealt with, and Daybreak Rune Wings were landing on the lowest platforms of the facility. Almost seventy Candles were currently being held in captivity, and almost all of them were in some form of bad shape; it seemed the intel QUILL had acquired underestimated just how many Candles were being held. Sumeragi clearly only cared enough to keep the valuable Candles just alive; care and any sort of comfort was out of the question. Unsurprisingly, many of those rescued needed help up to the medical unit Rune Wings; something Daybreak's dispatched away teams helped with. There wasn't much time before Sumeragi's forces would scramble in to reinforce, but all things told, the evacuation was going fairly smoothly. As well, the backup servers for Project Monarch had been successfully purged and destroyed. Moreover, Daybreak forces successfully defeated two of Sumeragi's Glaive Soldiers; a staggering loss to the company, robbing them of two incredibly powerful enforcers. By all accounts, the mission was a complete and total success, though the work of treating and figuring out how to release the captive Candles was just beginning.

For his part, Gunvolt had helped carry and move some of the hostages to the medical rune wings, but between that and the prolonged fight with Viper, he was feeling tired, sore, and in desperate need for some fresh air and a cleared head. With the facility secure, GV told his team where he was headed: to one of the helipads higher up, and he just needed a quick breather, and that he'd be back in five minutes. He set his watch alarm, just in case he got too lost in thought. But that said, Monarch insisted on going with him, which GV agreed to after a little prodding.

He stood upon the empty helipad, looking out to the mountains and clouds beyond, Gunvolt sighed, the winds at this height billowing his coat, collar, and even his braid.

"...We did good today, GV. We saved a lot of innocent people... and probably stopped a bunch more from needing saving at all."

"Yeah, we did. ...So how do you feel? Has a weight been lifted from your shoulders after all this? ...That's part of why you insisted on coming, isn't it?"

Monarch's hologram hovered over to be next to him, though the AI Core remained off to the side just a little. The hologram looked over to him, a mixture of relief and melancholy on her face.

"...Some, yes. I did want to help atone for what I was forced to do... and the things I did before I grew to know better. ...All those people down there... most of them were put there because of me, after all. Those people deserved the same freedom that you and the others gave me. I had to do something to make things right. But... just because we succeeded here and badly damaged both of those horrible programs, doesn't mean I can really rest, you know? There's too much left to do... to much left to stand up for. I can't sit by, idle, at home, waiting for you or Desi to come back. Not when I can contribute, however little it might be."

To that, Gunvolt gave her a small, but earnest, appreciative smile.

"I wouldn't call what you did 'little,' Monarch. And I think, together, we'll be able to accomplish even more." He slid his hands into his pockets and turned slowly to head back inside... though, he stopped with a sudden jerk, causing both the hologram and the AI Core to look at what caused it; and they reacted similarly.

Between them and the door stood a large, familiar figure, white hair and coattails flapping in the breeze.

"GV, you have no idea how right you are."

"Asimov?! What... when did you get here?" Gunvolt's expression was shocked and confused, though it was more of a disarmed sort of reaction; he didn't necessarily mind the surprise, but it definitely wasn't expected. "Is everything okay?"

The man nodded, a firm and oddly warm smile on his lips. "Yes. I rode in with an away team and landed once the operation was complete. I wanted to personally congratulate you, Gunvolt. The work you put in was exemplary. Since you left QUILL for Daybreak Academy, you've grown to exceed my wildest expectations. And I can see that you are nowhere near done growing."

Gunvolt's eyes lit up, as did his expression, hearing those words; though his voice still kept calm and collected, as well as polite. But anyone could plainly see how proud he was to hear that.

"Thanks, Asimov. That... really does mean a lot to me to hear. I've been working my butt off since I got to Daybreak. Didn't want your faith in me to be misplaced."

"It clearly was not. You've done well so far, but... there's still much left to do. Tell me, what did you see, when you went down into that basement to help those captured Candles?"

"...It was hell on earth. Pure evil. What Sumeragi did to them can never be forgiven."

"And it has to be stopped. We can't allow that sort of thing to continue."

Asimov grimly nodded, his expression darkening and turning very grave. "But continue it will, even with this decisive blow. Sumeragi are not the only ones out there who will seek to abuse Candles for their political, personal, and monetary gain. Even when we topple them, more will rise up... and many more are now, even as we speak. Mages. Vampires. Daemons." He looked between Gunvolt and Monarch, and let out a tired sigh. GV raised an eyebrow at this; he'd never seen Asimov so... dour, before. Sure, he was often very serious, but... this? "...And worst of all, other humans. They will be the most dangerous of all to Candles, especially once Nightfall is stopped."

"Asimov?..."

"Humankind fears the unknown, GV. And much of it fears progress as well; look no further than the stubborn, short-sighted cruelty of Mage families. When our kind are no longer needed, Candles will no longer be human to them. Just another monster. Just another resource. Never mind that we evolved as a response to the supernatural; humankind's survival mechanism against the forces that would see us all dead, and that we represent the progress of humankind's greatness. And we must stop that from happening, at all costs. That is what QUILL is truly for.

Once Nightfall is stopped, you, and strangely enough, Monarch, represent the greatest hope for Candles. With your immense power, and Monarch's song, you two could unite, and even lead the world into an era where Candles flourish. The light of Radiance would lead the world to a more peaceful, perfect time. One where conflict will not exist; one without daemons, fae, Mages, monsters... or the humans that would abuse us. Candles, and Candles alone. A free, flourishing world, rid of the shackles that the past would see us in. The rest will wash away with the tide of history."

Gunvolt stood there, in shock, his expression almost impossible to read beyond that. He couldn't have just heard what he did. It had to be some sort of nightmare. His response was quiet, but intense, and still gripped with a sort of paralysis. "What?! Asimov?!"

"GV...."

Snapped out of his shock by Monarch's voice, Gunvolt's brow furrowed, and his voice turned hard, though he struggled to keep his composure. "...What about the humans and other people who do believe in us? Treat us as equals? And as friends? Would you sweep them away too?!"

Asimov dipped his chin a little, to look a little over his sunglasses at Gunvolt, but the glare of the sun prevented GV from really seeing his eyes too well. "I can only assume you refer to those you met at the Academy. Do not forget the purpose of the Academy, Gunvolt. Its entire mission statement is preventing Nightfall, and they will do it however they can. Even if it means allowing monsters into its ranks. Daemonic teachers, pact-holders, the like. Ask what happens after, GV. If you think the world will be peaceful then, you have not paid attention to history. I know I taught you better than that before you became a field agent." Asimov straightened up from his more easy stance, looking even taller and more imposing, and the sun casting a long shadow back toward the door. "But perhaps I slipped up, seeing as how you seem to have gotten close to some of them. The ones with the pacts that carry out vigilante justice. The boy with the glowing yellow eyes... I believe he is little more than a ticking time bomb. To say nothing of that girl with the horns. You have seen what she can do, GV. That you would get so close to and trust an obvious monster like her? She's more daemon than human. What were you thinking?"

The boy was silent for a moment, his head hung low, eyes shut tight. He looked a lot like an ashamed child in that moment; empty, lost, and almost afraid. But the boy broke his silence, his voice nearly breaking, but he was able to project enough to be heard. "...Asimov. You've done a lot for me over the years. You practically raised me. Saved me from a life of hardship as just another orphan in the system. And for that, I'd do almost anything for you." He looked up at his father figure; he still towered over him, what felt like a Goliath. Gunvolt's eye's hardened; the irises looking like steel, while the whites of his eyes grew red, tears threatening to form at the edges. "...But not this. If all of that is what you truly desire, using Monarch and I to get it, all the while throwing the people I care about under the bus? Then you're no better than Sumeragi or the people you hate!" Gunvolt's face then twisted in anger, his fist balling as he took a step forward toward Asimov. Lightning crackled from his wrist and fingers, and along his ankles, blue bolts dancing along the floor near him. "You don't know anything about my friends! And what about Moniqa?! She's not a Candle! Are you gonna sweep her away with everything else that doesn't fit into your little utopia?!" His fists tightened further, enough that if he were not wearing gloves, he might well have drawn his own blood. Through gritted teeth, he continued: "You're so damn worried about monsters? I only see one of those right now, and he's standing in front of me!"

Asimov's expression did not change even the slightest, but the hologram of Monarch looked frightened at what she was hearing; terrified for what this now meant... and what might now happen. "GV, are you sure...?" She knew it was a silly question, because she felt the same way. But with the reverence Gunvolt had spoken of Asimov since they'd met... this... was a lot. A lot all at once.

"Stay behind me, Monarch." The boy made ready to draw his Dart Leader if he had to. "We're done, Asimov. Get out of my way."

"...I see. That's... too bad, Gunvolt." There was at least some sound of regret in his voice. Though, it sure didn't sound terribly sympathetic. "...But you've hit a dead end." And in the blink of an eye, Asimov drew his sidearm, a runic revolver, and pulled the trigger. The loud crack of a gunshot echoed along the mountain's cliffs, and off the steel and concrete of the Stratacomb.

Gunvolt felt a sudden burst of heat in his torso; even though he'd been ready to use his Prevasion, and his armor was runed for serious protection, enough to keep him safe even against Viper. Asimov's shot cut through all of it and found its mark. The world slowed, and his whole body began to feel numb... he heard the thunder of whatever hit him slam into a wall behind him, and then a scream from Monarch that echoed in his ears as he fell to his knees, somehow still partially upright. Nothing in his body wanted to answer him, his mind frantically trying to respond. His vision began to blur as he watched Asimov's hand began to spark with bright azure lightning. With scarcely a wasted motion, the lightning arced over to Monarch's AI Core, punching through her shields, overloading her hovering capability, and sending her falling to the ground, rolling along the helipad helplessly deactivated.

"To believe in that... is the gift of the young, to be set aside in place of wisdom forged by suffering. ...Beware those who demand your loyalty, those who speak of righteous causes while they slither and scheme..."

He wanted to scream, cry for help, call his lightning, anything, but... the searing pain all throughout his body was all-encompassing. All he could do was watch as Asimov took aim at him with his revolver once more.

"...Hasta la vista, GV."

Another crack of a gun, and the world went dark for the Azure Striker, as he fell forward to the ground, blood pooling beneath him... his watch beeping, telling him his time was up.


[To anyone who comes to investigate, Gunvolt is found face-down in a pool of his own blood. He is barely alive, and hanging on by a thread, and already in a coma. Even with magical healing, he won't come out of it immediately. Worse yet, Monarch's AI Core is nowhere to be found. It's simply straight up gone without a trace. Asimov is long gone too, and there's no sign that he was ever there, save for the two rounds he fired. He did pick up the casings before he left, but he didn't bother with the slugs.

The first bullet Asimov fired is lodged into the concrete wall that was behind GV, and that bullet is pure Orichalcum. The second is a conventional .357 Magnum cartridge, and by some miracle, it impacted the medal on the necklace Desidera had given to him as a gift, getting tied up and twisted in it. The impact force of the round still wounded Gunvolt, but what would've surely been a fatal shot was stopped. The first bullet missed much of the most vital organs, but still caused a bunch of damage.

Rather obviously, Gunvolt is unable to respond to anything. There will be another post coming up in the future where Gunvolt wakes up. Rather obviously, what happens cannot stand, and there will be a third act, for which a plotting post will be coming up shortly.]

[bejustorbedead]

[It was chaotic, getting everything organized - when he heard that rapport, guns - he has gotten distressingly familiar with that sound since he has awoken]

Stay here; I'm investigating.

[He stated to one of the Rune Wings as he ran towards the sound, his sword unsheathed. It's likely the others may follow soon after - he didn't need to order a command to the students.

By the time he traced where the sound came from, it was too late to find the cause - but upon seeing a familiar figure lying prone and in blood, his breath catches in his throat - an angry, and shocked gasp. For a moment his left eye flares red, looking as though someone opened a portal to a volcano inside his eye before it vanishes, running over]

Gustav...? Gustav!

[unlogic]

The 'obvious monster' tapped the remaining two members of her team to come with her and follow Ky, because she had a bad feeling about it all, and if anyone else from the other team opted to join them, she wasn't going to stop any of them.

When they all reached Gunvolt and she saw the scene before her, her heart absolutely sank. Oh no. No no no no no. She ran over as well, turned him over to where he was face-up, and began shaking him lightly, trying to get some kind of response, any response. Anything she was saying as she did so was largely unintelligible.

[alreadyhuman]

If Vivi had found this first, he might have freaked out. But since other people are already reacting, he just

pushes it down, away, for later. The first thing he feels is anger, like he's burning up, like he wants to take it out on someone or something. He can't do that, even if he'd like to, because that wouldn't be good, so he lets it sit in his chest and swirl.

There are facts: gunshots, bullets, the fact that his friend wasn't prepared for fighting and probably didn't expect what was happening.

He doesn't think of anything else.

"We need to get a doctor," he says. His voice sounds weird to him, like it's not him speaking. But everything does right now.

(He's so angry. It lashes around his body like lightning, bouncing, seething. He doesn't think he hates it, but he doesn't know what to do with it.)