[center][b][h3][color=#ff8566]Sister Sophia[/color][/h3][/b] The whispering woods [/center] The fog cleared and revealed a dense wood bathed in the purple light of twilight, towering trees reaching towards the sky, the sounds of of Cicada, and other, bigger things, could be heard throughout the dimly lit woods. Sophia immediately moved into cover of one of the large trees and began to scan the area before a voice spoke from her chest [sub]“Hey! I'm getting interference, ya mind pulling me out?”[/sub] [color=#ff8566]“voices? Again? Curse this damn haunted machine”[/color] She found a well hidden area before removing her helmet and pulling out the heart shaped machine again and listened to his rambling speech. Apparently the Crucible had an announcer and round based prizes? This sounded a lot less like a science experiment and more like a blood sport. Where they broadcast this? If this was actually some kind of massive summoning circle or reality tv show she was going to burn that old hag at the stake. [color=#ff8566]“Just contact me via my coms if you need to say something next time”[/color] Anyway there was word of a supply cache, so she replaced her phylactery and helm and then clambered up the nearest tree to get a higher viewpoint. With the densely packed foliage using the jetpack was not really an option without setting the forest ablaze, also it would be a good Idea to find out what the cache had before alerting her foe to her location. [hr] Whoever had set this had made it with her in mind, a complete set of spare ammunition for her 3 firearms, a tank of promethium for her jetpack and flamer and as an added bonus some medical supplies. Looking at the size of the massive tree dungeon, she was going to need every bit of it. Speaking of said tree, Sophia climbed on top of the rock and examined the living fortification. The entrance was a heavily fortified if more traditional wooden fort built around a busy entrance door crafted from the living wood of the vast tree. A small number of strange centaur like guards manned the walls, marching to and fro armed with spears. Above was the trunk of the tree itself into which walkways and tunnels had been carved, up there large glowing bugs flitted about more centaurs transported things to and fro. [color=#ff8566]“Disgusting. I shall rid this land of these foul creatures”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”and you're going to do this how?”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] Sophia made her way towards the front entrance, casually walking towards the gateway while drawing her flamer. The skittering Myrmidons atop the wall took notice, scrambling up the walls to face the intruder, raising their javelins they hurled them in unison at the foolish loan adventurer. Sophia grind behind the Adamantium helmet as she launched herself to the skies, an angel of death ascending on burning wings, the spears thudding into the earth below her. Pointing her flame pistol at the bugs, she pulled the trigger and begun to sing. [color=#ff8566]“Blessed Emperor, I sing and fight in your name”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”for fuck sake”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] The guards are overwhelmed by the flames in an instant as she reaches the top of her burning leap, tumbling from the battlements as their stunned comrades raise their compound eyes to gaze at the incoming Seraphim. [color=#ff8566]“Your enemies shall all burn in my holy flame”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”you're just going to storm the front and try to personally kill every last bug in that thing aren't you”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] She quickly draws a bolt pistol and with a thunderous roar it sends its massive shells raining down on the bugs below, the fist sized shells punching through the chitinous plating of the Myrmidons and then detonating inside their soft flesh, leaving blood soaked crater like wounds in the chittering bugs and dropping them in an instant. [color=#ff8566]“This place I shall cleanse of these xenos blight”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”you have nowhere enough firepower”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] She puts away the falmer and performs a [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwUilIo036g&feature=youtu.be&t=8s]super hero landing[/url], raising her eyes to watch the pathetic remnants of the outer guard scurry towards the entrance. [color=#ff8566]“We are humanity and all worlds are our birthright”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”This is true”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] She chases after them on foot, booting open the door and sprinting inside, with both hand cannons drawn she runs down a corridor that leads to a relatively small circular room [color=#ff8566]“for I know in my hear that the words of the ecclesiarchy are true!”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”They aren't”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] A gate slams shut behind her, sealing her inside and plunged the room into darkness. For a moment there's silence, then the room is lit by 20 or more Lambents that have emerged from holes in the ceiling, their glowing abdomens reveal in front of her a huge Phalanx of Myrmidons and behind her guarding the entrance 6 hulking Antlions have emerged from their hiding spaces in the walls. The true first line of defence was a well set up kill box, heming the attacks in with a wall of spears, driving them back towards the crushing jaws of the Antlions while bombarding them with napalm. [color=#ff8566]“In the name of the Emperor, I'll purge you!”[/color] [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]”it’s moon and punish. Good luck, Try not to die.”[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] [hr] About 3 minutes, two hymes and about half her ammunition later Sophia came running back out of the base of the tree, her armor covered in ichore, soot and sap, with giant insects hounding her. She launches to the sky, turns round and blasts 4 that tried chase after her even after she left the wall enclosure. The rest wave their spears, chirping in victory at the retreating Seraphim, then rush back inside to engage in firefighting, the use of napalm launching bugs inside a tree perhaps not the best idea for structural integrity. Sophia had shot, burned and kicked her way through about half the chamber before realizing that the amount of supplies she had would never let her get up Emperor knows how many floors [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]32[/color][/i][/sub][/sub]. So she had fought her way back out of the kill box and was now retreating to resupply and make a better plan. [hr] Having stocked up on ammo the store still held about half her carrying supply of munitions but almost an entire tank worth of promethium, as the fight inside having left little room for flight. Sophia stat atop the rock, gazing up, the tree reflected in her visor as she considered her options and what supplies remained. Really she only needed to kill the queen and retrieve the item, but she refused to leave this tower of horrors standing. She was idly flicking the pilot light of the flamer on and off as she gazed upward, it too reflected in her visor, when she had an idea. A wonderful, wonderful idea. Gathering a few extra supplies she walked round to the other side of the tree from the actual entrance. [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]you're definitely going to need help to pull this off you crazy nun[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] [hr] Her preparations complete Sophia ascended up the tree, scanning the trunk with her thermal vision and spied several incredibly hot areas, perhaps important well occupied rooms, generators or incubators. She imagined that the biggest [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]highest[/color][/i][/sub][/sub] highest one would be near the throne room and so Sophia jetted/climbed towards it, making sure to avoid any patrols by sticking to the un-walkway strewn areas and hiding in the nooks and crevices of the tree if anything came near. Having arrived she then drew one of her chain knives and used the whirring blade to slice a circle into the trees bark, about the size of herself. Finally she flew a little way back, put away the knife and rammed the weekend area with a shoulder charge, bursting into the spawning room in a hail of splinters. Combat rolling on the floor into a crouched position she drew her pistols and silenced the workers inside with a few lethal shots. After prepping her escape route she headed into the hive proper, reaching a junction with 5 exits, she pondered for a moment which too take [sub][sub][i][color=#FFD700]second on the left[/color][/i][/sub][/sub]. Taking the second exit on the left she walked down a wide hallway and emerge into some kind of gladiatorial arena carved from the tree’s flesh. There was a large circular pit into which her corridor had emerged, its walls were tall, mounted with spikes and with several sturdy gates lead inside from other directions. Directly opposite the entrance and up on the wall of the arena where the VIP booth might be found, behind a thick yet semi translucent wall of amber, was a throne made of the weapons and armor of dead adventurers. The metal and gem encrusted seat dwarfed its singular occupant who was currently trying to find a place for the crippled drone and it’s accompanying treasure. She was strangely humanoid, yet this only made her insectile nature more abhorrent in Sophia's eyes. The woman was taken a little by surprise by Sophia's arrival, but recovered quickly, and in an unflappable tone simply said. [color=826644]”I thought you got turned away by the first challenge. I am glad you somehow made it, I have many new creations to test against a stubborn intruder like you.”[/color] Once again a gate slammed shut behind The Seraphim. As the battle was about to begin the drone’s speaker crackled to life.