[i]"Onward to glory!"[/i] --Nathaniel, Page 1. --- [b][center]Central Apartments[/center][/b] --- Jenive complied with Junko's offer of aid, after all, there was no reason to avoid it. Smiling in appreciation, Jenive opens her mouth to say something only to squeak in pain and curl her hands into fists instead, the alcohol doing its job of killing pretty well everything it came into contact with on her skin and purging it clean. As she started to wrap the bandage around her arm, Kiku dashed out to see the burn wound and... Right, the chainsword! Jenive looks back at it with a bit of savage curiosity, an almost evil glint in her eyes. [b]"Oh the things one could do with that..."[/b] So with a disappointed sigh she remarked to Junko and Kiku why she didn't immediately grab it. [b]"...If only it didn't likely weigh sixty pounds."[/b] Just as Junko finishes wrapping Jenive's arm, Matthew dropped in from above. His near-collision with Kiku was plainly intentional and easy to see coming, and so with her above-human reflexes, Kiku, likely grinning, would respond with a quick cut for Matthew's abdomen as he disconnected his parachute. However Matthew also had the same kind of above average reflexes, and managed to avoid anything particularly lethal or damaging, though Kiku's knife would still leave a remarkable superficial cut across his left arm as he rolled out onto the roof. Jenive pulled out her pistol and aimed it at Matthew, and was about to demand him to stand down before a woman in all black armour lands on the rooftop. [b]"This is turning into quite the parade."[/b] Jenive remarks sarcastically. [b]"Stand down. He's a friendly."[/b] The woman, Alyss, points at Matthew. [b]"... But if he does anything to threaten the mission again..."[/b] She draws her hand against her own neck. Jenive nods quickly, though doesn't seem to like the implications. The group would then hear Kai's voice over the radio, and Alyss would hesitate for a moment before moving down into the apartments wordlessly. Jenive shakes her head. [b]"What's her problem..."[/b] She looks around at the trio with her. [b]"So... Uhh... I guess we should go inside the apartment. Before another one of those chainsword wielding freaks comes and actually does something smart."[/b] Meanwhile, Abimael looks at Kai with unblinking eyes, peeking around the corner into the main hallway. As Kai finished searching the rooms already searched and cleared by his comrade, Kiku, Abimael would look like he was trying to explain something. The emotional state in his eyes was impossible to read, there was something off about his entire figure, though the way he cradled his own body with a little less tension suggested he was starting to warm up to Lupus. He points at Kai. [b]"Lupus."[/b] He points at himself. [b]"Abimael."[/b] He points at the floor, there was dust coating it, save where they and others recently had stepped. [b]"People."[/b] He then pulls out a bottle of water on his waist, and points to its contents. [b]"Us."[/b] His voice continued to have the same, croaked sound to it, the tone fluctuating rapidly between curiosity and fear without any semblance of pattern or reason. Behind Abimael, descending from the roof, a tall person in all black armour approached. Once again, Alyss hesitated upon noticing Kai, but continued on towards Abimael. Her gender only became apparent after a few seconds, the armour doing its job of disguising her identity very well. She reaches out for Abimael, who takes a couple steps closer to Kai to avoid her. With a sigh, she speaks, and looks at Kai, knowing he would recognize her voice. [b]"Abimael, it's okay, nobody is going to hurt you, we just need to get you out of harm's way."[/b] She hoped Kai would cooperate, but added something more for him. [b]"Help me, please, and we can talk more later, when our lives are not in dang--"[/b] She is interrupted by the sound of a wall breaking on the other end of the hall, opposite the staircase leading to the roof, a few feet away from Kai. An explosive charge had gone off, followed up with a pair of grappling hooks shooting up to the edge of the floor. The steel hooks mechanically grounded themselves into the floor, preventing them from being pushed off, and the metallic cable that descended from each looked like it would resist several blows, even from the katana, or a gun. [b]"... Survivors?"[/b] Abimael croaked. [b]"... I don't think so."[/b] Alyss responded as she motioned silently for Kai to take cover in a room on the right, while she took cover in a room on the left, opposite of whichever room Kai chose. Abimael however would follow Kai, feeling more comfortable with him, unless he ordered otherwise. --- [b][center]South West[/center][/b] --- The full on attack from the combined efforts of the remaining squad members proved quite lethal, in one way or another. The flamethrower burst from Brucey cooked the remains of the corpse, though the dog tags strangely remained untouched by the flame, instead only glowing red somewhat from heat retention. To Brucey's delight, the feeding wolf wound itself on fire even as it dashed out from the direct source of the flames. It whined and screeched in pain, again with the unearthly voice only somewhat reminiscent of a real wolf, before being pelted with several rounds from Nathaniel's rifle. It twitches as it the combination of bullets and fire finally seem to end its life, slowly reducing it to a puddle state, the orange liquid turning black under the heat of the flame. The chainsword mutant, however, was not nearly so easy to put down. Even as the flames rushed from Brucey's mech, the creature withstood them, holding its chainsword up as though to somehow block some of the flames it seemed to be putting its entire effort in making itself flame retardant. Thus, the flames alone would not be sufficient to harm it. Unfortunate for the chainsword mutant then, that the flames were not alone. As Daniel's mech came sailing through the air, the rock it wielded as a sword came hurtling down for the mutant. In a split second the mutant rose the chainsword up to try and block it whilst also attempting to evade, leaping back from the flames and from the mech, though not in time to stop either from harming it. The rock collides with the sword, shattering many of its teeth with a satisfying metallic crunch, followed up with the sounds of several bones snapping or shattering in the mutant's arm. As well, since some of its focus was no longer on defending against the flames, much of the skin on its torso blacked and burned. The rock slams down onto the ground, taking the mutant's left arm with it, from the elbow down to its hand, smashing it into an orange paste. Only a few remaining, tiny, shredded giblets remained of it. As for the mutant itself, it recoiled in pain, the wolf which had previously been injured with shotgun shells in its head slowly rose to its feet, though still seemed highly agitated. [b]"Receptui!"[/b] The mutant hissed to its wolf companion as both fled deeper into the fog. It seemed they had a momentary breather, though the bio-tower that remained in front of the APC shuddered as though something of great mass had just escaped from the top of it. In fact, one glance would, with great distress, spot that the tower had begun to cannibalize the front of the APC, its tendrils working to dismantle it and absorb it. It had also increased in general width and mass. Reinforcements from it were inevitable, and all of those remaining there would be painfully aware that they were likely not equipped sufficiently to deal with whatever was coming. Three wolves were already within sight, climbing down from the top, "appearing" through the fog as it were. Nathaniel would once again hear the angelic voice from before, the psychic voice in his head. It remained as soothing as it was before. [i]"The biologist in the APC will not live much longer if you do not act now... Your destiny is slipping away."[/i] She says, reminding him in a manner that could almost be considered motherly if not for the unearthly tone to it. Just as all hope seemed lost for any kind of clean getaway for the remaining trio and the biologist, Marvin and Liam would stumble onto the scene, just as Liam had pulled out his radio to try and call for them. The addition of another mech and a grunt might be enough... If they all worked together. --- [b][center]South East[/center][/b] --- As Peter Táo parachuted down past the helicopter, he would notice the giant Goleyeith--four times the size of a tank--recovering from the combination of 50 calibre rounds and rockets fired into it. It appeared to be bleeding the orange liquid profusely from the top, trickling down its sides and four legs. Where most creatures would have to turn to engage, it simply looked with the eyes on its legs, and after a few seconds in one sudden motion, threw one of its left legs out towards the helicopter. It stretched out like an elastic band, and splattered across the cockpit's glass. [b]"ACK~ Shit!"[/b] Captain Derek shouted in surprise over the radio. The glass cracks as he flips a switch, sending an electrical pulse through the vehicle and down into the Goleyeith. Georgia once again hears it scream in unearthly amounts of pain before its limb drops and slams into the concrete, where it starts recoiling itself back like a wind-up toy. Achilles Heel, on the other hand, plummeted from the sky as the damage to the base of the main rotary became apparent. It, too, crashes into the ground, the tail snapping off from the force of the impact. [b]"Achilles Heel is down n' I'm feelin' a little loved here!"[/b] Derek spits out sarcastically as he climbs out from his cockpit and falls down onto the concrete. He was dazed and bruised, but otherwise alright. Still, the orange puddle from earlier had disappeared in all of the commotion, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what that meant. [b]"... Aw shit."[/b] He mutters as he pulls out his side arm, and looks at Peter. [b]"Lets git' inside! We're sitting ducks out here!"[/b] Meanwhile, inside, Carolyn was guiding people up the stairs, holding onto her rifle carefully and checking corners, though she was no specialist for this. Morai on the other hand looks to James and was about to try and be cooperative when, suddenly, James' radio crackles to life. In fact, everyone, save those in the fog, would hear this transmission. [b]"This is Ryan Dufont, council member of ADAM. The Chinooks which dropped you off are returning to pick you up with additional Council air support, though they won't have a lot of room in terms of fuel consumption and air time. You'll only have a few minutes to get to the evac zones, which should all be just outside the fog. James, was it? Get your people to the roof, the pilot won't land anywhere near that creature you are fighting... Oh, and one more thing for all of you on the ground. We've detected U-ARM communications in the area. Be wary, and get back here in one piece. Ryan Dufont out."[/b] Morai frowns as he looks at the radio. [b]"A direct response from a council member of ADAM?... That's abnormal."[/b] He then points up the stairs. [b]"James, any other ideas you have in mind? Might be a good time while we get to the fourth floor."[/b] He remarks quietly, though his face remained troubled with private thoughts on the situation. Carolyn on the other hand would find no threats in her path, making it to the fourth floor with ease, though as she speculated, there was no direct way onto the roof save blowing a hole into it and then climbing up and helping others up onto the roof. That wold cost time... She radios Georgia specifically. [b]"Hi sis, wanna make a sparkly plug?"[/b] She says with a bit of nostalgic happiness in her voice. She was, of course, referring to an explosive. --- [b][center]South East: Opposition Territory![/center][/b] --- As Roman entered the fog with the heavily damaged Mercy close behind him, they would find a few corpses left behind at the scene of what was once likely a kill zone for the poor men who had tried to fight here. Yet, they were not alone. Around them, figures with bony hands, without fingernails, were picking up and dragging the dead deeper into the fog. They were cloaked in thick, black garments, a mixture between veils and robes, very intricately woven, or perhaps even molded. They could hear whispers amongst them, though nothing intelligible, and their sources were dubious, it sounded as though it came from within their own minds. [i]"ɥʍ'ɹɐ'sǝɥʇ'ɹnʇɐǝɹɔ¿"[/i] Notable, the sound also came through on their radios, something the rest of the south east squad would hear, and which the mutants would find oddly familiar, but wouldn't be able to understand at all. [i]"uıʌıן,ןnɯ,ןǝɔ,ןɐʇs,uou-uıdo,ıɯıן,ɐǝɹɥʇ,sǝןɯɹɐɥ,ɹuoƃı... Lillith ǝǝu,ıuɐƃɹo"[/i] The name could be discerned as a classic name from Judeo mythos, everything else was as clearly alien as it was before. From deeper in the fog they hear someone dragging something, and after a few seconds, a figure appears through the fog... Wearing dog tags. He was wearing a gas mask, and atop that, a helmet, covering his entire head from potential dangers. He was holding a small, black box... Likely one from a mech. The figure looks up and points at the black box, then says two words. [b]"Carolyn. Understand?"[/b] Behind him the sounds of a figure in very heavy armour was approaching. [b]"We need to get out of here."[/b] His voice sounded strained by something. Unfortunately one look over him would reveal him to be unarmed. [b]"Though... How did you know to look here?"[/b] He asked curiously as he constantly looked back over his shoulder, in fear of whatever was approaching. --- [b][center]United-American Resistance Movement[/center][/b] --- [i]"Washington, our men have reported finding a specimen!"[/i] [i]"Good! Bring it back here, as soon as possible."[/i] [i]"What about BCSEC and CoA? They both have agents on the ground, there are apparently a few of them near the specimen."[/i] [i]"They are traitors, kill them."[/i] [i]"What if the specimen won't come with us willingly?"[/i] [i]"Kill it too, then. God knows that America cannot stand cowards attempting to circumvent His will."[/i] [i]"Yes, of course... Anything else?"[/i] [i]"If they return, congratulate them and give them good rest. If they don't, tell their families that they died in the name of America and God, and that I personally will remember them."[/i] [i]"Yes sir!"[/i]