[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3zMXPYWyeE[/youtube][/center] If you're in this city, you're doing one of two things: You're working [i]for[/i] Shinra or you're working [i]in spite of[/i] Shinra. Sometimes, it's even both. The Shinra Power Company came to be some years ago, revolutionizing power usage with the bedazzling Mako Reactors and all the applications to be found [i]with[/i] that power, and it carefully steamrolled or absorbed so much in the world that it became a kind of corporate government power over regions and much of the East and West Continents, holding sway over those who live as far north as Icicle and as far south as Mideel. The last great holdout had, of course, been the country of Wutai, the mysterious nation of untold wonders and secrets. As a people, as a culture, they didn't really see much value in the ways of Shinra. No desire for the mechanisms or power reactors. No wish for the distractions of their normal lives that their presence would bring. So, Shinra forced their way. Enter the Wutai War. With that came the influx of the SOLDIERS who would be considered war heroes, at least until such time as they burnt out from what you might call 'Mako Exhaustion'. Some SOLDIERS suffered from the breaking down of their bodies as the surge of energy coursing through them from the day of their Mako exposure either ran its course or overburdened the body's natural system. Some say that Sephiroth, the miraculous and undefeatable warrior, may have felt this happen at a critical moment during a monster attack, causing him to be killed and eaten. Now, as stated, the surviving SOLDIERS of the war were considered heroes, although some were not so sure. Sephiroth was the SOLDIER with the highest kill ratio on that assignment. Joe's mentor was a man with one of the lowest, finding himself not wanting 'to bathe such a beautiful country in blood'. His views were unpopular, but his skill landed him as a First Class SOLDIER, better known for his durable force and sudden strikes. That was the man that Joe had traded swords with, a good man. Naturally, the likes of Heidegger - who would rather see to it that no fists of opposition could be raised ever again - didn't like him. That, and because the burly military man was a pain in the ass, was the main reason Joe hated him. [color=39b54a]"Is there some reason I'm always hit with surprises when it's my turn for these sim evaluations?"[/color] [b]"A SOLDIER is expected to deal with the unexpected at all times. You should know that."[/b] [color=39b54a]"The Valkyrie, though? That's on [i]my side[/i]."[/color] [b]"I'm not at liberty to discuss why or why not a Shinra robot on-location might decide to attack. Perhaps it [i]malfunctioned[/i]. I don't care. It's not as though it's my division. I run the might and [i]manpower[/i] of Shinra Inc., and I command the [i]obedience and respect[/i] of my men."[/b] Well, he was [i]half[/i] right. The men were afraid of him and obeyed him and all the executive staff out of fear of being canned or worse. Heidegger may [i]look[/i] like an aging general on his way out, but the fact is that he could still punch a man flat out or toss such a man one-handed, and he didn't [i]take[/i] any SOLDIER enhancements. Even a SOLDIER like Joe would be on-guard around such a man. [b]"You're a Third-Class because, while you have the [i]strength[/i], your mind is undisciplined and you lack the common decency to even [i]salute[/i] your superiors."[/b] Joe knew that most of the senior staff didn't like him, and the feeling was mutual because of it. Mac, Captain Gonovich, had vouched for his innate skill and something clicked in their minds that this was a good idea, that ANY veteran of the Wutai War from SOLDIER should pass on their abilities to the next generation before it was lost. However, Scarlet couldn't care less about it, Heidegger objected to seeing 'some upstart kid' getting fast-tracked without time in the guard company first, and Hojo... Well, the Professor had objections to him being alive, so maybe Heidegger was trying to get him killed on that man's behalf. [b]"You're an insubordinate mess and I don't like you, but we've [i]invested[/i] you, so you'd better be worth your weight in gil, understand?"[/b] It was about this time that someone decided to [b]"Ahem."[/b] their way into this hallway browbeating. It was a lady's voice, but...as you can guess, this was no lady. Scarlet was - no question - an attractive woman, but...you wouldn't want to have anything to do with her. She treated men as objects...literally, sometimes...and cared more about how her own projects came along than any humane concerns. The blonde was head of the Advanced Weapons Division, something of a business rival to the Public Safety Division...which is why she and Heidegger got together like oil and water. Where he was rage and strength, she was biting and cutthroat. They deserved each other. [b]"If you're quite done talking down to your man, I need to borrow him." "Not happening. This one's going into the brig for his insolence." "[i]Again?[/i] So predictable of you. And yet, if you [i]do[/i] place him in the brig, I can't send him on this assignment for me, which the President would like handled sooner than later." "Really now...?"[/b] [color=39b54a][i]Uh oh... I don't like the sound of this.[/i][/color] [b]"He's all yours! Do your worst! GYA HAH HAH HAH HAAAAH!"[/b] [color=39b54a][i]Shiiit...[/i][/color] Truthfully, Joe wasn't afraid of the directors of Shinra Inc. like so many other people, but rather that they might decide to [i]really[/i] throw the army at him, instead of only 'testing him'. Something was going on. Most days, he did patrols, smacked down some bandits, traced a thief or two, and generally kept the peace. It was when the higher-ups got involved that life took a serious wobble... [color=39b54a]"Is this about the mission in Gongaga-"[/color] [b]"No, not even remotely. We haven't found [i]evidence[/i] of your claims, so you just keep quiet about that and follow me."[/b] Grumbling, he did so and was led to a break room where Scarlet told everyone to shove off and had him close the door. Soon after, she'd used her remote uplink via phone to activate the room's TV and show off...weapon schematic. [b]"As you may be aware, the Shinra Weapons Division has developed a new Sweeper Prototype for use in the field, the Custom Sweeper. The current line-up has been dubbed as the X-Series, and they're being used as test subjects to iron out all of the kinks before we go into full production. However, one of these devices has gone rogue, the X-1 Prototype. A fault had developed in the programming and I want you to take it out."[/b] [color=39b54a]"You don't want to retrieve it for study?"[/color] She put her hand over her mouth and let out a [b]"Kya hah hah hah hah hah..."[/b] before saying [b]"Why would I want [i]that?[/i] The other nine are running perfectly fine!"[/b], aaand that was the end of that. The schematics were deleted from the screen and he was told to get to work. An app for receiving tracking data would be uploaded to his phone. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sweepers... They were one of the most successful mech units produced by Shinra, to date. They and their sister mechs, the Cutters, were highly-mobile killing machines, bipedal engines of destruction. The basic Sweeper is a makes one immediately think of a truck on legs. It's heavy, like a vehicle, and its feet have wheels to move it along when footpower isn't enough. They have complex programming that allows them to self-activate when an intruder is in proximity, and they self-DEactivate when the job is done. A machine with a modocum of reasoning power - to determine friend from foe automatically, and to make combat decisions based upon opposition, terrain, personal status, etc. - is a dangerous thing indeed. And this was only the version made chiefly for Midgar. Once it was clear that Sweepers outside of the city often got lost or confused in field tests, they built a further model. Thus, the Custom Sweeper Prototype - or the X-Series of Sweepers - was born. From the leaked file that Naisha had seen, the CSP was a dramatic improvement upon the basic design. The dimensional reasonings of your basic Sweeper, you'd compare to a Roomba. The X-Series understood the changing dynamics of a contoured land and how to deal with them. More than that, it had greater suspension, greater speed, stronger guns, the missle volleys, the flame projector, and the grapple chains meant to stun and capture...along with a knock-out-gas spray. The Custom Sweepers were going to be able to search and retrieve, longterm, which meant that you could have a machine that never slept and never stopped pursuing you straight from Midgar or Junon...and that was a problem. Whoever was leaking the schematics knew what they were putting on the market here. It was a warning to some, a delectable prize for others. Buying Sweepers and Cutters on the black market was always expensive. Imagine if you could just build them [i]yourself[/i]... But for now, Naisha was headed for the local junkyard, in which patrons are cautioned of the presence of monsters The usual riff-raff creatures tended to live here: Wererats, Gorgers, Lesser Drakes, etc. A woman in a wheelchair might be considered easy prey by them, but then they didn't know about her special drones. This was also good for the human side of things. For while plenty of slum dwellers knew her by face and by [i]chair[/i] and were generally accommodating...some of the local toughs would see her as a vulnerable wheelchair bound woman and may try and take advantage of her... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Maddie - or rather, [i]Naomi[/i] - received a number of erm...[i]ahem[/i]...invitations to join people drinking or potentially more than that by several men and at least one woman. This was probably frustrating for her, like she was being set up, [i]stood[/i] up, and let out to dry. It was still yet after this, after patience had been well-and-truly tested, that her man showed up. He arrived...shortly after another person had moved on, just sat down and took a drag of his cigarette that could only be described as...methodical. He looked like he was either enjoying it too much or...slightly on-purpose. The act was not great, but then again...in this place, it may not have even mattered. Shinra security coverage around here was light, if present at all. She was now facing an adult male who may have seen some combat fairly recently, dressed in a dark clothing with a dark green vest. Unless Maddie had agents here waiting in advanced, which he would have used this time to determine if indeed watchers [i]were[/i] around, they were alone in this place. He let out a sharp stream of smoke. [b]"We're going to need stronger explosives. I've already got men pulling together the materials. We need you to make ready use of them for the next mission."[/b] He gave her a look that suggested something big on the horizon, and his next words confirmed this fact. [b]"We're going to strike at the very heart of Shinra power, literally. Blow the Midgar reactors, one after the other, and leave nothing behind but their shattered dreams."[/b] This was... Some time ago, Avalanche had taken out the Mt. Corel Mako Reactor. In response to this, during the battle to kill all members of the group on-site, many of the [i]people[/i] of Corel died in the crossfire, or under suspicion of having been Avalanche themselves. The Head of Shinra's Weapon Division [i]herself[/i] had been there that day, and personally executed quite a number of people. Still, this would certainly make for a credible threat to Shinra, to say nothing of the city itself! The amount of people who might be killed was [i]ghastly[/i]. But then, Avalanche had [i]ever[/i] been squeamish about killing others. To them, the Wutai War wasn't over... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Elsewhere in the Wall Market, Scotch and Kotch had received the message from Aiko stating that she will think about it. That seemed promising to the two men, and they reported such to their boss, but he was [i]not[/i] entirely pleased. Don Corneo, Aiko did not like, but Don Corneo wanted that racers to be fighting in the upcoming Corneo Cup. She was fierce, she was popular, and she was skilled. Against the others lined up, it was altogether likely to be a spectacular tournament. But if they couldn't get Aiko, then who the hell would take her place? Some dating couple they just find on the streets? Well, perhaps a more desperate rival of hers...but still... [b]"I [i]want[/i] that girl fighting down here. Have some men start taking up all the available jobs in her area for a while. That'll being her to heel."[/b] That...was about Corneo's style. When he pushed, he shoved. That said, though, Aiko had a decent headstart on any thugs of his, [i]SO[/i]...she would naturally find a number of various options and tasks, small jobs that included working with tools, delivering this and that, and other things that were generally her speed. One woman actually noted her as an extremely good roller-racer and wondered if she might teach her kids to rollerblade well. Lastly, there was a man who appealed to the probably-not-legal end of the spectrum. He was dressed casually, but he seemed to be all business, with a crewcut and a scar from an old fight, possibly someone's knife. His offer? Well... [b]"Rapid parcel delivery, payment upon completion. It's well-suited to someone of your talents. Put simply, the backstreets and the alleyways of this city are both problematic and yet ideal for the quick transportation of goods. In order to avoid traffic or [i]problematic stoppage[/i], it would be a good plan to use them...to quickly move some materials from one truck to another in these back alleys, which cannot be easily monitered nor pursued through, especially if you happen to have a setup like your own. This is an on-call sort of thing, but we'll make sure to notify you ahead of time so that you can get into position."[/b] He wasn't saying who he was working for or why, and the question wasn't really suppose to be asked either. It was possible, though, that Aiko could [i]guess[/i] who and what this man represented...and why he felt that it was alright to approach her about this. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Meanwhile...yes, there HAD been problems at Fort Condor regarding the Sweepers. A couple of them had faultered and were rendered disabled or destroyed, but it turns out that a group of grunts would just as easily set off Jessie's explosives...and some of the machines learned the fine out of [i]jumping[/i]. These Sweepers, the X-Series of Prototypes, had overcharge devices installed, allowing them to exceed normal levels of output for a limited time to perform certain feats, like powering through or jumping over a hazard. This was one of the reasons that casualties were mounted high and that Akira needed to engage the enemy directly instead of just healing people. It was after such an action that the young Wutai boy would hear [b]"Nice work, kid! Now, run for it!"[/b] as Jesse swept by in retreat from an approaching Sweeper that had a pair of thrown bombs stuck to its chasse, beeping unto the inevitable- [h3][b][i][color=ed1c24]BOOOOOOMMM!!![/color][/i][/b][/h3] A Sweeper that had been marked as X-5 now lay in rubble. However, not far behind, rolling in a bit more casually, were X-2 and X-10. Using their remote uplinks, they had been able to ascertain the means by which the destruction of the other two and now this one had occurred. And to answer the 64K Gil Question, there were [i]seven[/i] sent to this battle in total, with two still in Junon. Way in the back lines, still on-board the transport that brought it here, the X-9 Prototype was battle coordinator for this sortie. No one on the field had any knowledge of what it was thinking. Only those technicians examining its behavior and testing for rogue behavior knew what was going on inside of its CPU. [hider=X-9 readout] [center][h3][b]X-9 Status:[/b] [b][color=39b54a]GREEN[/color][/b][/h3][/center] [b]Status of Other X-Series Units: [/b] [b]X-1 - [color=92278f]UNKNOWN[/color] X-2 - [color=39b54a]Active, Minor Damage[/color] X-3 - [color=ed1c24]DESTROYED[/color] X-4 - [color=39b54a]Active, Minor Damage[/color] X-5 - [color=ed1c24]DESTROYED[/color] X-6 - [color=00aeef]Currently Deployed in Junon[/color] X-7 - [color=00aeef]Currently Deployed in Junon[/color] x-8 - [color=ed1c24]DESTROYED[/color] X-9 - [color=39b54a]Coordinating, Undamaged[/color] X-10 - [color=fff200]Active, Moderate Damage[/color][/b] [b][color=9e0b0f][/color][/b] [/hider] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In Junon, disembarkment from the Shinra Transport occurred. There WAS some confusion as to where the scarred man had actually gone. [i]Some say[/i] he was wearing a mask of his face...on his face, OR...that he had jumped ship and was now swimming with a particularly-friendly dolphin, since he was a master of beasts and all. All we know is that he wasn't on board anymore! That left Kanade and Tace, the latter of whom clattered out of here in his car of questionable make while Kanade was leaving on foot. From the POV of Tace...well, there were plenty of places to get a bite to eat, and the only suspicious glances his way were at his car, which was often a topic of conversation, but never really a problem for him. What he was gonna do for a job...well, that depended on if there were any outstanding contracts on people, monsters to kill, or anything like that. At least he eventually found a parking spot and could walk [i]back[/i] to somewhere to get some proper food in his system. Kanade wouldn't apparently get anymore trouble than the usual looks that a Wutai person on this continent would get. She had that look that she might be trouble, but there were men with guns all over the place, and a bunch of people were trying to get off, so as long as she wasn't doing anything [i]right now[/i], there was no issue. The only problem was that...Fort Condor had to be a ways from here, a long walk and even a pretty substantial drive. Akira was waiting, and she innately knew where in her mind, if not by any look on a map, but was there any way to get out of this town and over to there quickly...? Well, it just so happens that a pair of men, one of them rather stocky and pudgey, who happened to be following her [i]might[/i] be able to help. That left Alex and Wasteland...who had the scent, but...something had to be wrong here. Wasteland wasn't finding their guy, or gal. Tseng hadn't specified gender, so naturally it could be either/or. This was a problem. His dog's nose couldn't be the problem. The hound had picked out people from a crowd before, even barked to get them startled enough to run from a group before doing the takedown. But this bustle of people... He wasn't reacting, which meant they weren't there. But did that mean their intel was wrong? No, they were certain that someone of Wutai descent would be...wait. Wasteland didn't seem positive on this, but there [i]was[/i] this one girl. She was definitely from Wutai. Ah, what to do? Call it in and get further orders? Prepare to home in on her scent [i]now?[/i] This one might be squarely on Alex's shoulders, and if he got it wrong, the home office would not be pleased. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And speaking of which...heading down the hallways of another part of the Shinra Building... [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wDBw0m2IMM[/youtube][/center] ...were two men in black suits: Reno and Rude of the Turks. They were heading for one of the training rooms now, even passed Joe along the way, Reno giving him a [b]"Yo."[/b] as they did. The Turks kinda' knew Joe from a previous mission where he'd been sent to investigate the reactor at Gongaga...and they had some intel-gathering on potential Avalanche movements. They all thought that Avalanche had blown the reactor, but Joe had another claim, that there was a monster involved. That one's on the hush-hush list, though. Only Tseng and up were allowed to look at 'File-ME', and it was locked in the system to prevent access. Honestly, Reno wanted to get Maddie to hack her way into it so he could see. Only Tseng had been allowed to interrogate Joe, and only the Execs had been allowed to hear. Tseng had even asked that he keep whatever he was claiming to himself back on the helicopter, as they couldn't allow things to devolve into hysteria. Maybe not, but that just made Reno curious. In any case, that was in the past, and in the present was this thing about a new member joining their ranks. [b]"I'm not sure I like this. I mean, I know we're short-staffed, but hiring from the [i]guard pit?[/i]" "Did you read the file?"[/b] Reno made a wild gesture. [b]"Of [i]course[/i] I didn't read it!" "I didn't think so, but you'll like this one." "And why would [i]that[/i] be?" "Her loyalty is 100%, and her fighting skills are [i]at least[/i] comparable to her sister." "Ah, I see. Yeah, that's probably for the b- Wait, her [i]sister?![/i]" "This is why you read the file."[/b] The training room was littered with broken Shinra robots, shattered turrets, and shot-up targets. Standing amidst the huge mess was a single blonde woman with a very determined - if angry - expression on her face. She was dressed as a Turk, though she had been part of a guard unit previously, and appeared to be geared for martials arts fighting and gunplay, a cold aura softly radiating off of her as she now finished the last of her targets off and got her scores. Rude informed Reno that she was told about what happened with her sister in the Turks in order to motivate her to work harder for the position. The two men now approached her, Rude smiling now. [b]"Greetings, Elena."[/b]